Jay Alan Edelnant, Ph.D., 76, of Cedar Falls died Saturday, February 1, 2025. He was buried at Casper Creek Natural Cemetery outside of Galena, IL.

Despite living nearly all his adult life in Cedar Falls, Iowa, Jay was a city guy.  Born March 5, 1948 to Nathan and Eleanore (Fishman) Edelnant and reared in Chicago and Skokie, IL, he craved Jewish deli food and rooted for the Chicago Cubs his whole life.  His wardrobe reflected his loyalty to Chicago teams, especially his joy when the Cubs won the 2016 World Series. At 18, Jay ventured to Jacksonville, IL to earn his B.A. at MacMurray College, but returned to Chicagoland to complete his M.A. and Ph.D. at Northwestern University in Evanston, IL.  His first (and last) teaching job brought him to the University of Northern Iowa, where, for 47 years before his 2018 retirement as an emeritus Professor of Theatre, he impacted countless lives by teaching and directing plays and musicals. Those lucky enough to have been his students and colleagues describe him as a brilliant educator, an inspiring, supportive, and influential professor and mentor who opened doors for them.  His simple, yet effective directives, (“Read the damn play!”) shaped others’ careers. More than one said they never worked harder than in Jay’s classes and productions. He was renowned for his wit and humor.  He was committed to creatively crafting theatrical experiences to enable actors and audiences to see connections between playwrights’ messages and their own daily experiences.  As a theatre critic he lauded quality and provided constructive suggestions when productions needed work.  His abilities were recognized nationally through his work for the Kennedy Center’s American College Theatre Festival (ACTF). He was honored to have served as the National Chair, and he treasured his connections with other theatre professionals across the US, in the UK, Poland, and Uzbekistan.  He has earned a standing ovation.

Jay and his wife of 51 years Vicki were avid travelers, visiting all 50 states, several Canadian provinces, and dozens of countries on four continents.

At home, Jay was a voracious reader, an insightful film buff, a graduate of the New Orleans School of Cooking, and adventurous cook.  When his daughter was small, she would check to see whether Dad was cooking before inviting a friend to share a meal as Jay was known to experiment with many herbs and spices, and sometimes the results were too bold for young palates. 

Jay was a loving husband, father, grandfather, brother, and cousin to his surviving family: wife Vicki (Van Vark) Edelnant, son Noah S. Edelnant, of Grimes, IA, daughter Julia E. (Nicholas) Nenow of Cedar Falls, grandchildren Eleanor J. and Steven J. Nenow of Cedar Falls; and brothers Jeffrey J. (Marguerite) Edelnant of Coatesville, PA; Jerrold S. (Theresa) Edelnant of Northridge, CA; and Michael (Courtney) Edelnant of Casselberry, FL; and special cousins Elyse (Randy) Frapart of Houston, TX; Eliot (Lynn) Slovin of Arlington, TX; and Susan (Buck) Lindgren of Ingelside, IL.  He also was a treasured friend.  Family and friends agree they wouldn’t be who they are if Jay hadn’t been part of their stories. 

Jay was preceded in death by his parents, aunts and uncles, and cousin Ronnie Slovin. 

A celebration of Jay’s life has been tentatively scheduled for Saturday afternoon, May 3, 2025 in Cedar Falls. 

Memorial donations may be made to the UNI (University of Northern Iowa) Foundation and directed to The Edelnant Theatre Enhancement Quasi-Endowed Fund. The project # is 223908.

Donations may be made online using this link: UNI Foundation | UNI Foundation .  Donors will need to select “Other designation” from the “Select a Designation” dropdown menu, and then type in the project name and number.  Checks should be made out to the UNI Foundation, with the designation name and number included in the memo field and mailed to:

University of Northern Iowa Foundation

121 Commons
Cedar Falls, IA 50614-0282

Jay’s family wishes to thank the staffs at the Mayo Clinic and St. Mary’s hospital, Rochester, MN; Cedar Valley Digestive Health Center; Cedar Valley Hospice; the Western Home Communities’ Deery Suites, Dr. Parag Sampat, Tammy Miller, RN, and all the medical professionals who provided kind care during Jay’s illness.