Online Obituaries

OTIS   Theodore “Jay” G. LaBonte, 85, of East Otis, passed away of a sudden illness on Friday, May 15, 2026 at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield.  He was born on August 21, 1940 to the late Theodore J. and Evelyn (Blanchette) LaBonte.  Jay grew up primarily in the Aldenville section of Chicopee and retired in East Otis.  As the second of eight children his happy childhood was spent in a very active and noisy household.  His mother, determined to refine him, enrolled Jay at Frank Lally School of Dance.  After dropping him off she was unaware after a few lessons he would escape to the poolhall on the floor above.  Luckily, enough of the dance stuck and he continued to dance his whole life.  After graduating from Chicopee Trade School, he joined the Coast Guard where he met his lifelong friend, the late Doug Johnson of South Dakota. They were stationed in Ketchikan, Alaska where they started a boy scout troop, threw parties for the families in town, hunted, fished and Jay discovered his love of flying.  He served his country in the Coast Guard from 1960 to 1964.

Jay met his wife Joyce, of 58 years, at, where else, a dance on St. Patrick’s Day in Holyoke and they’ve been dancing ever since.  Jay was a lifelong sportsman, loved hunting and fishing and dreamed of having a farm.  He made do by raising homing pigeons, pheasants, rabbits, chickens and honeybees all in his yard in Chicopee.  It was as close to a farm as he could get.  He loved to sing and knew the songs from any era.  He had a wonderful singing voice, and it was loud.  The singing started when his feet hit the floor and continued all day as his neighbors can attest.  Jay spent his working years in manufacturing with twenty years at American Bosch and various machine shops in MA and Colorado. Jay spent 8 years working as a purchaser in CO and living with his cousin, Eugene LaBonte his wife Kendra, and their son, Matthew.  While in Colorado he bought a horse, he named Blazer and enjoyed looking for arrowheads and attending roundups at a friend’s ranch.  He loved going to roundups and rodeos with Matthew.

After finally returning home to Mass, he and Joyce enjoyed traveling to Australia, Canada, and especially to Topsail Island with their grandchildren, Wilder and Willa.  Jay worked well into his 70’s and finally decided to retire in East Otis, Ma.  Jay stayed busy with projects around the house and playing pitch with the pitch league at The Knox.  He said they were a great bunch; too bad they could never remember what a trump was.

Jay is survived by his wife, Joyce A. (Crawford) LaBonte; daughter, Alicia Dunaj and her husband, Michael of East Otis; two beloved grandchildren, Wilder and Willa.  He was predeceased by his older sister, Jeanne LaBonte.  He leaves his brother, George LaBonte and his wife Linda, his brother Paul LaBonte and his wife Mollie, his sisters Deborah Savage and Aurea O’Brien, his brother, Christopher LaBonte and his wife Cathy and his brother, Jeffrey LaBonte and his wife Laurel.  He was predeceased by his cousin, Eugene LaBonte and leaves Kendra (LaBonte) her husband, Joe Stott, and her son Matthew LaBonte. He also leaves many nieces and nephews from Massachusetts to California and Oregon, including Barry Lafreniere of Chicopee.

Calling hours are on Tuesday, June 2^nd at the Cierpial Memorial Funeral Home on 69 East St. in Chicopee Falls from 4 to 7 pm with remembrances at 6:30pm.  His burial service will be held on Wednesday, June 3^rd at the Massachusetts Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Agawam at 9 am.  Memorial contributions may be made to the charity of one’s choice.