A GoFundMe organized by Jennifer Scheman had raised more than $11,000 as of Thursday, Nov. 6, to assist McGuire’s family with funeral expenses.
According to the obituary, McGuire was born April 30, 1987, in Trenton. He graduated from Ewing High School after having attended Notre Dame High School for grades nine and ten, later studying at Mercer County Community College.
McGuire was affectionately known as “Jay Kountree”, a name he earned while playing in youth sports leagues, inspired by NBA player Bryant “Big Country” Reeves, the obituary said. He played baseball, soccer, and basketball before turning to music.
The obituary said McGuire “provided years of service in multiple restaurants in the Mercer County area” while building his “musical empire.” He founded Mohican Entertainment and co-founded Club Crusades, curating events across Mercer County, and more recently in Philadelphia and Austin, TX.
According to Scheman’s GoFundMe, McGuire was “the heartbeat of Trenton, and beyond.” She wrote that “he treated everyone like family” and “built an entire safe space for everyone to just be themselves.”
Scheman said McGuire’s presence was felt wherever he went. “I couldn’t walk five feet with him without running into someone he knew, even if we were out of state,” she wrote. “I always called him the mayor.”
In the GoFundMe post, Scheman described McGuire as a teacher and mentor who “taught so many people to DJ or how to curate an event” and “took everyone under his wing.”
“He stayed true to himself, his craft, and his art — no matter what,” Scheman wrote.
According to the obituary, McGuire was a member of the Catholic Church and a founding member of the local chapter of the Trenton Hibernians.
He was predeceased by his stepsister, Sloane Danielle Murphy, the obituary said. Survivors include his father, James Gerard McGuire II; mother and stepfather, Shelly Murphy (Bill); stepsister, Kellie Chavonne; and “a host of aunts, uncles, cousins, and extended family and friends,” according to the funeral home.
Click here to view the GoFundMe and here for McGuire's complete obituary.
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