Jay F. Donnaruma

Jay Francis Donnaruma, 81, born in Kingston, NY on September 9, 1945, passed peacefully on November 10, 2026.

Jay graduated from Kingston High School (1964) and continued his education at Fairfield University (1968) where he earned a BA in English. At Fairfield Jay was actively involved in the campus radio station, WVOF, where he hosted a weekly jazz show.

In the summer of 1967, Jay traveled to Europe as part of a college Art History program. In Paris, along the banks of the Seine, he met and fell in love with fellow program participant Stephanie Sloat. Jay and Stephanie were married two years later in Connecticut on August 2, 1969. It was the start of a loving 57-year marriage.

Jay worked in a variety of positions in the financial industry for 50 years beginning on Wall Street in 1968. His career included many years at First Albany Corporation and Janney Montgomery Scott. He had extensive experience and expertise in securities markets and his opinions were regularly sought out by national and local media.

Jay was known for his warm smile, kindness, humorous stories, the pins on his blazer, and an impressive collection of hats. He cherished spending time with his grandchildren, watching them compete in various athletic endeavors, laughing with them around the dining room table, and challenging them to games of chess. Jay was an avid golfer and a long-time member of Schuyler Meadows Country Club. A life-long Yankees fan, he was also a voracious reader, jazz aficionado, and political news junkie.

Over the years Jay served his community on the boards of the Boys & Girls Club, Parsons Child and Family Center, the Investment Society of Northeastern New York and the Hudson River Club. He also served as President of the Father’s Association at The Albany Academy, and was a member of the Vestry at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Albany.

Jay was preceded in death by his parents, Walter C. Donnaruma and Elizabeth Brennan Donnaruma. He is survived by his wife Stephanie Sloat Donnaruma, his children Sara Howard (Matt) and Colin Donnaruma (Cassandra), his brother Walter Donnaruma (Mary Ann), his nieces Julia Donnaruma (John Hampshire), Jacqueline Donnaruma (Jack Shaefer), and Katie McGuigan (Jeff), his nephew Rob Antonucci (Mandi), his grandchildren Calvin, Douglas, and Leanah-Mae, and his great-nieces Harper, Lilliana, and Madison, and his great nephew Bennett.

A funeral service will be held for Jay on Wednesday, November 18th at 1:30 pm at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church (107 State Street, Albany, NY). A reception will follow at Schuyler Meadows Country Club (17 Schuyler Meadows Rd. Loudonville, NY).

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in Jay’s memory to the Osteogenesis Imperfecta Foundation, https://oif.org/donate/, or to the MDS Foundation, https://www.mds-foundation.org/donate/.