Joseph “Jay” John Arcata, Jr., 79, of Paterson, NJ and Niantic, CT, loving partner of Donna Olsen, passed away unexpectedly on Sunday, October 12, 2025. Born in Hartford on September 17, 1946, he was the son of the late Joseph John Arcata, Sr. and Rose (Guglietta) Arcata. Jay grew up in West Hartford and graduated from The Robinson School. After attending college at St. Joseph’s in Indiana, he returned to Connecticut to work in the family’s cheese business, an industry he would be associated with for the remainder of his life.
In addition to his devoted partner Donna, Jay will be forever missed by his two children, Joseph “Jay” Arcata, III of West Hartford and Lauren A. Jackson and her husband Jeff of New Canaan; his two adored grandchildren, Graham and Maeve Jackson; his sister, Carol Ann Arcata of Niantic and his former wife, Susan (Walker) Arcata, as well as many extended family members and friends.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Saturday, October 18 at 11:30 a.m. at St. Timothy Church, 1116 North Main Street, West Hartford. Burial will follow in Mt. St. Benedict, Bloomfield. Donations in Jay’s memory may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital at www.stjude.org or the ASPCA at www.aspca.org/donate The D’Esopo Funeral Chapel, Wethersfield has been entrusted with the arrangements. To share a memory of Jay, please visit www.desopofuneralchapel.com
