Joseph T. Fay Sr., expert mechanic, avid traveler, and friend to many, died peacefully on May 10, 2025 at Cape Cod Acute Care in Brewster at the age of 90.
Joe was born on March 13, 1935 to Joseph David Fay and Nettie Elizabeth Fay. He grew up on a tobacco farm in Paris, Ky., known as “the Thoroughbred Capital of the World” because of the long history of the equine industry in the area. His father was the caretaker for Secretariat, and his mother was a homemaker.
Joe spent his teen years in Paris and after high school made his way to Provincetown. Here he met and fell in love with Margaret Souza, of the Provincetown Souzas, a family with strong roots in fishing. While Joe was not from the Cape, his love for Peggy instilled in him a deep connection with her hometown.
He was quick to offer help when needed, said his son, John. “He did everything for anybody,” he said. “He did it because he liked people, and because it was my mom’s community and he wanted to show that love.” Joe and Peggy settled in Provincetown, were married for 67 years, and had four children.
Joe got a job working for Cape Cod Excavating in Provincetown and later went into business with his wife’s uncle, James “Jimmy” Enos. Joe and Jimmy ran Peter’s Express and Fish Transport. Joe trucked fish from the piers in Provincetown. When the local tuna fishing industry was booming, he hauled fish right from the pier straight to Logan Airport to be shipped as far as China.
Joe was also a skilled mechanic and worked on the Fish Transport trucks. This passion was passed to his son, and after Joe’s retirement he and John went into business as mechanics at Fay’s Automotive in Provincetown off Shank Painter Road.
Joe was a fixture in the community; he and Peggy enjoyed sitting on the benches in town and chatting with friends and passersby. Joe had a love for travel, and he and Peggy enjoyed driving their camper across the country, often bringing their grandchildren along.
“My mom and dad camped everywhere,” John said. “Mount Washington, California, Texas — they went everywhere.”
Joseph is survived by his wife, Margaret Fay of Provincetown and Brewster, and their children, Joseph Thomas Fay Jr. and wife Melinda of Sagamore, Elizabeth and husband Patrick Gibbens of Philadelphia, N.Y., John Fay and wife Barbara of Eastham, and Bernedette Suckling of Denton, Texas. He is also survived by 11 grandchildren, 14 great-grandchildren, and 2 great-great-grandchildren.
Following Joe’s wishes, services will be private. In lieu of flowers, donations in his name may go to the Soup Kitchen in Provincetown, Box 538, Provincetown 02657.
