Arthur F DeCesaro Jr.

Arthur F. DeCesaro, Jr. was embraced by the Holy Spirit and passed into the arms of our Loving God on Thursday May 30th, 2024. Born August 23rd,1948 to the late Arthur F. And Evelyn DeCesaro, Sr. He was raised with a strong Catholic faith that carried him through life.

Art graduated from St. Joseph’s Catholic High School in Kenosha, Wisconsin and later attended Gateway Technical College where he received an Associates Degree in business. He had memories of several people in Kenosha from his youth that he thought of fondly, especially Nello Ventura, Charlie Chiapetta and Lester Thompson who he spoke of often. Lester in particular was responsible for his lifelong passion for auto racing. Motorsports was a passion he also shared with his brother Tim. It seems that every time they spoke, the conversation somehow always led to stories about anything and everything that went fast! There were also antics woven from both fact and fiction about altar boy and baseball shenanigans with his childhood best friend, Dickie Chiapetta, who he loved dearly.

As one of the most successful graduates in the history of Gateway he was asked on numerous occasions to deliver the commencement address to new graduates. He was always excited to share his strategies for success with anyone who would listen or was eager to learn.

During the war in Vietnam he proudly served our country as a Sergeant in the Army National Guard, nearly missing the draft when President Nixon ordered a reduction in force.

In 1971 he married his love, Laurel Palmer, thanks to an introduction from her grandmother who just had to introduce her to this handsome young man that worked at the local men’s clothing store (thanks grandma!).

After graduating from Gateway, Art held a variety of leadership positions in the apparel industry, spending most of his career with Jockey International and later with VF Corporation. Most importantly though, was the sense of pride and accomplishment he felt about his family. He beamed with pride every time he spoke of his bride, his kids or his grandkids who affectionately referred to him as Grandpa or Papa. Make no mistake though, he was also tough as nails with very high expectations. To his credit though, he never discriminated. If you were anywhere in his orbit he expected nothing short of a 100% effort and he didn’t care who you were. Likewise, Art was always one of the first people to roll up his sleeves and get to work - he never considered himself better than anyone else, a rare find in this world.

Art is now peacefully reunited with all those who he loved that are no longer with us, especially his youngest son Patrick Bernard. Art is survived by his wife Laurel, sons, Matthew (Stacy), Ryan (Sophia), one daughter, Jennifer (Stan), and his brother, Tim (Mary Jane), along with four grandchildren and many other family members.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the American Heart Association or the American Kidney Foundation.

A visitation for Arthur will be held Friday, June 7, 2024 from 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM at Catholic Church of St. Ann, 4905 Roswell Rd, Marietta, GA 30062. A funeral mass will follow at 11:00 AM. Following the Funeral Mass, Arthur will be laid to rest at Green Lawn Cemetery & Mausoleum, 950 Mansell Rd, Roswell, GA 30076. All are invited to join the family following the burial from 2:30-5:00 PM at Osteria Mattone, 1095 Canton St, Roswell, GA 30075.