North Carolina farrier Jay Mickle passed away in late September 2025. He was 79.

Mickle was one of the original members of the Garden State Horseshoers Association, an integral member of Will Faudree Eventing, an avid golfer and owner of MickleStix golf bags.

“Jay Mickle died last week at 79, sitting at his computer, working on a project he loved. In many ways, it was the perfect ending for him — quick, unceremonious, and right in the middle of solving something that stirred his mind. He was figuring out how to manufacture and import ClipStix, his latest invention, from China, undeterred by tariffs or logistics. Jay had a knack for spotting puzzles and a relentless drive to crack them. That’s how he lived — always trying, always learning, always moving forward,” says his friend, Dr. Philipp Wirth, on Facebook.

“He was one of a kind — a tinkerer, a thinker, a man who argued passionately and laughed easily. A man who believed in fixing what was broken, in walking the course, and in moving forward,” Wirth continues.

“He was an expert equestrian and highly sought-after farrier who frequently worked with the Olympic team,” says Chris Buie, a fellow member of the Golf Club Atlas. “Jay handled everything I saw with aplomb. He was always smart, interesting, funny, ready to bring his delightful way to whatever was next.”

Share your memories of Mickle in the comments below.