John Jay Mennella, 58, of Stafford County, passed away at home on Friday, April 14, 2017. He moved to the area two years ago from Manassas, where he had lived since childhood. Jay was born on July 4, 1958 in Queens, NY to John and Judith (Firth) Mennella. He was a stone mason that not only enjoyed working with stone, but also enjoyed the beauty of stones, being able to tell what the stone was and where it was from. Jay also enjoyed gardening, was an animal lover, built aquariums and was a writer of beautiful poems and loved reading. The children also said Jay "was very loving and non-judgmental", having made the same mistakes as a kid, and was a practical joker.
Survivors include two sons: Anthony, Matthew (Michelle); three daughters; Kari Mennella (Mathias Hoopes), Beth Mennella, and Melissa Jones (Andrew Zollner); his Mother, Judith Mennella; sister; Linda Sipe and 17 grandchildren. Jay's famous last words were always, "Luvu2bye" and his best words of advice were "Cut that Out!".