Remembering Jay Cellone
As you shop for ingredients for your family’s feast, we hope you’ll keep the joy and togetherness of the holiday in your heart. Whether your family is the one you’re born with or the one you picked, the people closest to us enrich our lives and make the good days brighter, the bad days bearable, and remind us of the simple joys.
This year, the Cellone family remembers our dear Jay Cellone, a beloved husband, grandfather, father, and head of our family business. As a member of the third generation of the Cellone family, Jay brought direction and leadership as President of Cellone Bakery from 1975-2006.
Along with his brother Randy Cellone, Jay started a frozen product line that opened new possibilities for Cellone’s all over the country. Jay was ahead of his time, transitioning all of Cellone’s fleet vehicles to propane all the way back in the 70s.
He was instrumental not only in the business but also in the baking of the bread–he oversaw the engineering and dough formulation and invented the 120-foot tunnel oven. It was because of this vision and Jay’s creative spark that led to the doubling of Cellone’s baking capacity without adding another full production line.
Jay Cellone loved anything with an engine, from race cars to motorcycles. His hobbies weren’t just on land, but in the sea and air, too–Jay enjoyed flying, boating, and scuba diving, too.
Just as Jay left his mark on the Cellone family business, he left a little bit of himself in the hearts of his family, too. They will always remember his larger-than-life personality and his overflowing love for his children, grandchildren, nieces, and nephews, many of whom work for the bakery, too. Family trips to Cedar Point won’t be the same without Jay.
“He always told me you got to watch the pennies, and they will take care of the dollars. Every time he had a hard time fixing something and finally got it working, he always said ‘thank you Jesus!’” – Gary Cellone, Jay’s son
“My dad was a hard-working man, and he was all about family. He would tell stories and be making them up and would laugh when he got you. He taught me my work ethic, and I was proud to be a part of the company. He bought my first car that he and my brothers fixed up and was just so darn excited to surprise me with it.” – Kim Duda, Jay’s daughter
“I always loved watching my dad do burnouts in his car at the bakery. When we had a day off, we would spend the entire day together. We would go on a hike down to the cave and shoot guns. I also enjoyed going to Cedar Point with him in our motorhome. It was always a great time.” – Dean Cellone, Jay’s son