Jay Deking

Canton – Jay Arnold DeKing, age 53, passed away on Thursday, March 17, 2016. A native of Penfield, Monroe County, New York, he was the son of the late Judith Ann Hillman DeKing. In addition to his mother, he was preceded in death by his partner, Lisa Stewart of Cruso. Jay enjoyed playing music with the Cruso Circle Play And Jam, and hiking in the Shining Rock Wilderness area with his dog, Rocko. He is survived by his father and stepmother, Kenneth and Velma DeKing, of Sun City Center, Florida; a daughter, Anna Lizzetta Schmidt and her husband, Taylor Lee, of Palm Bay, Florida; a son, Isaac Lloyd DeKing of Fort Lauderdale, Florida; a brother, Karl Richard DeKing and his wife, Dr. Shannon Elizabeth Hunter, of Canton; and a granddaughter, Leona Lizzetta Schmidt. Family services will be held at a later date in upstate New York. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Junior Appalachian Musicians (JAM) Program, c/o Haywood County Arts Council, P.O. Box 306, Waynesville, NC 28786 or SARGE'S Animal Rescue Foundation, P.O. Box 854, Waynesville, NC 28786.