Jay Flaherty died February 9, 2025 from cancer caused by exposure to Agent Orange during his service in Vietnam. “He died as he lived – with fortitude, organizational strength, and the deep love of family surrounding him,” wrote his wife Nanie and their children Eugenie, Doyle and Kate. “We told him we would miss him very deeply, but he that had taught us how to love and care for one another.”
“I was a classmate of Jay’s, but I had to wait twenty years before finally encountering him,” says Jim Seif. “It was trash – Philadelphia’s garbage – that brought us together. I was the Regional Administrator of the US Environmental Protection Agency at the time, and Jay was the deputy mayor in Mayor Wilson Goode’s office. He was the trouble shooter, the go-to guy. On his desk were lots of problems that most of us would call unsolvable, and a big one at that time was trash.
“EPA had, and still has, a kind of fraught relationship with state and local governments. (According to our press releases, of course, these were all ‘partnerships.’) One morning the newspaper reported a trash story quoting a ‘Jay Flaherty.’
“I had seen that name somewhere, so I made a cold call. And I can still hear his secretary saying, ‘Jay, there’s a guy from EPA, and he wants to talk trash.’ I can also hear Jay say, ‘Oh yeah, I really needed THAT today!’ Had the situation been reversed, I might have delivered a (expletive deleted), but that wasn’t Jay’s style.
“He was guarded but business-like, as I assured him that the permit would get a fair and quick review, and that there would be no hot-dogging, noise or leaks from EPA.
“Jay liked that. And then he actually believed it when I came clean as his ’67 classmate. We have been friends ever since, and in fact, about three years later I wound up practicing at Dechert, Price and Rhoads with him, and I remain truly grateful for those years.
“Beside success in the courtroom, including a landmark case against the U.S. Census Bureau, he strengthened his zeal for public service. It had all the big issues mixed into 60-hour weeks. And, predictably, Jay excelled as he demonstrated far more than his legal skills. He loved the complicated problems: the Gordian knots, the NIMBY messes, the complex development fights.
“At first glance, these matters have the look of legal issues, but Jay’s analytical and practical eye saw the social, economic, financial, cultural, technical, scientific and political implications, all rolled up and intertwined. It is said of versatile men that they can ‘swim in more that one kind of pond.’ That was Jay, who had the lawyer’s strength with details, the politician’s peripheral vision and knack for seeing the merits in the noise, and the all-important leader’s view of the Big Picture.
“It was Vietnam, of course, that brought a vast new set of perspectives, and some deep, even disturbing, insights into people and perceptions. It also brought a Bronze Star and lasting pain.
“To this mental depth and agility, Jay added a prodigious work ethic. He built a successful law practice at a rapidly growing national law firm, he partnered with Nanie to build a wonderful family, he continued his public service in the form of civic and neighborhood work, and he nurtured his athletic streak by coaching and mentoring many sports. He and his family maintained a vigorous travel, touring, hiking and boating schedule. He designed, built and nurtured simply the best garden in Chestnut Hill, and that was the place where he found tranquility and fresh energy.
“Sadly, this enormous amount of physical energy diminished as Jay’s final illness progressed. But there is a kind of alchemy that strong people have, and Jay turned that pain and finality into courage.”