John Jay Carsey, 80; Comedy Writer for ‘The Tonight Show’

John Jay Carsey, 80, a comedy writer and producer who worked on “The Tonight Show” and “The Steve Allen Show,” died April 5 in Los Angeles of congestive heart failure.

Born in New York City, Carsey served in the Navy in the North Atlantic during World War II.

After the war, he made his initial foray into television working as a unit manager on “The Steve Allen Show.”

Carsey later joined “The Tonight Show,” where he again worked with Allen, then Jack Paar and later Johnny Carson during his early years as the show’s host.

While with “The Tonight Show,” Carsey worked with such comedians as George Carlin, Richard Pryor and Flip Wilson.

In 1969, Carsey and his wife--television producer Marcy Carsey--moved to Los Angeles, where he worked as a writer on “Laugh-In” and several other shows.