Joseph Manlio "Jay" Giuttari

On October 6, 2025, Joseph (Jay) Manlio Giuttari passed away peacefully at Avow Hospice Center in Naples, Florida, surrounded by his beloved children.

Jay was the son of Guiseppe (Joe) Giuttari (1896–1979) and Vanna Maria Frova Giuttari (1908–2011). He is survived by his five children: Michael Joseph Giuttari and wife Heather Forcier Giuttari of Naples, FL; Debra Giuttari Andersen and husband Fred Thomson of Nelson, British Columbia; Lisa Giuttari of Naples, FL; Joseph Edward Giuttari of Cranston, RI; and Lori Giuttari of Providence, RI. He is also survived by his brother Glenn Nicholas Giuttari of Rehoboth, MA, and Glenn's three children.

Jay took great joy in his thirteen grandchildren-Ian, Zachary, Michaela, Matthew, Kimberly, Christina, Stephanie, Nicholas, Alexander, Jacqueline, Jenna, Alexandra, and Jordan-and his five great-grandchildren: Gregory, Evelyn, Layla, Ariana, and Solomon.

Raised in Pawtucket, RI, Jay graduated from Pawtucket West (now Shea) High School before attending the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (M.I.T.), where he earned a B.S. in Industrial Engineering. He played basketball and served in the U.S. Army Signal Corps.

Jay lived life entirely on his own terms-full of curiosity, learning, family, and friendship. Few could keep up with his energy or enthusiasm.

In 1961, Jay traveled to South America with an M.I.T. classmate to start a business. They never got past Barranquilla, Colombia-the first city they visited-and it became home. His wife, Jacqueline (Capaldi) Giuttari (1935–2021), joined him there with their three children, and together they had two more. In Barranquilla, Jay founded his first successful business, Remaches Industriales, a major manufacturer of rivets, eyelets, and industrial fasteners.

Ever the connector, Jay noticed a textile mill across the street and immediately thought of his father's business back home-Lyon Fabrics, Inc. in Central Falls, RI-which needed skilled workers. He brought the first three Colombians to Rhode Island, sparking a connection that lasted decades.

Reflecting on this, Jay once said, "Sometimes you can do something that doesn't cost you anything-and it turns out to be a miracle for someone else. It became a win-win situation."

Jay's lifelong curiosity led him to explore everything deeply-whether tracing the Giuttari family tree back to the 1400s, analyzing basketball free-throw trajectories, or diving into the study of DNA. He was just as passionate about learning from his grandchildren's interests in sports, medicine, finance, and music.

Returning to Rhode Island in the late 1970s, Jay managed Greenhalgh Mills in Pawtucket, a 300,000 sq. ft.

operation producing polyester textiles for New York fashion houses. Even "retirement" didn't slow him down-he continued consulting for small businesses and played tennis nearly every day in Naples, Florida.

To his brother Glenn, Jay was the adventurous older sibling always off doing something extraordinary. His curiosity took him around the world-even to Japan, where he met with Nissan's president to study water jet looms for his own mill.

Jay made friends everywhere he went, but Italy always held his heart. In his final days, he imagined himself back in Patti, Sicily, at his grandparents' table. We like to think they're together now-sharing spaghetti and meatballs and listening to Andrea Bocelli.