Keohane Funeral Home

Gaetano “Guy” Arena, 84, passed away peacefully on June 26, 2020 in his home in Weymouth, MA surrounded by his family. He was born on August 23, 1935 in Boston, MA. He was preceded in death by his parents Frank and Jennie (Mirasolo) Arena and his brother Frank Arena..

One evening, on a night out at Mosley’s on the Charles, he stayed to hear a song he liked and asked a beautiful woman to dance. Eventually that woman became his wife. He was married to Antoinette “Toni” (Rizzo) Arena for 58 years. Guy was a loving father to his special angels; Joanne Bialek and her husband David of Ipswich, MA, Dianne Arena of East Bridgewater, MA, and Karen Leavitt and her husband Gerry of East Bridgewater, MA. He was also a loving “Papadapadoo” to Elena, Matthew, Kendra, Christopher, Kevin and Taylor.

Guy grew up in Cambridge before moving to East Boston and attended Brighton High. He then enrolled in Northeastern University. During this time, he also enlisted in the Army Reserve where he served his country for six years. When his father became ill, he put his college dream on hold to support his mother, because family always came first. This led to a career for over 30 years as a cost engineer for Stone and Webster in Boston, MA.

His love for music was evident, from his days as a drummer, to his moves on the dance floor, to his whistling along with the radio that was always playing. He was also a very talented breakfast chef. His chocolate chip Mickey Mouse pancakes were renowned by his grandchildren, who couldn’t wait for sleepovers and the best breakfast made by Papa. Guy was also a master at woodworking and spent endless hours in his workshop. Every family member’s home is filled in so many ways with the talents of his carpentry. He loved to garden and took pride in his vegetable plants. No one else could match his green thumb. If you wanted to see Guy with a smile on his face, you would find him sitting on his back deck, enjoying the sun and spending time with his family. We are sad to say goodbye to such an incredible son, husband, father, grandfather, brother, uncle and friend. We know that he will be the first to greet us when we meet him again with his favorite line, “How you do?” In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in his memory to the Alzheimer’s Association, 309 Waverly Oaks Road, Waltham, MA.

Funeral and burial services will be private. A Celebration of Life will be held at a later date.

Normally, the funeral is an opportunity for the community to gather in support of one another. Although we cannot gather together with Guy’s family at this time, friends may still offer their support by sharing a special memory or message by clicking the link above.