Thomas Ralph VanEpps of Wolcott, NY, born in Rochester, NY passed away at the age of 81 on July 1, 2019. He was survived by his wife of 64 years, Ann Marie, their two sons Thomas (Janet) and David (Dolores); grandchildren William Keenan (Bridget), Michelle Keenan (Chris), Jamie Yarrow (Ryan), Daniel Finn (Kelly), Jennifer Lavigne (Brian), Thomas VanEpps (Jamie); great-children Madalyn, Jack, Annemarie, Mason, Emily, Evelyn, Max and Thomas; sister Loretta, numerous nieces and nephews and his son-in-law, John Santelli. He was predeceased by his parents Lorraine and Walter; siblings Walter, Jack, Pauline and Lucille and his daughter, Jean Santelli, who passed away last year.
Tom, called grandpa by his family, was a family man, a skilled fisherman, a hunter and a big presence in any room. He spoke loudly, laughed loud, ate big (bowls of spaghetti) and loved hard. Nothing in haste. He could tell (and re-tell and reinvent) tall tales to captivate (or capture) his audience. A true extrovert by nature, his personality and finesse, led by his keen sense of negotiation, made him a leader and a teacher of “doing it right” and “never let ‘em know how much you want an item”.
His traits and memory are instilled in us all. We call this “the VanEpps side”. Some are skilled in the art of fishing and hunting, but all are strong willed. We love hard, talk loudly and laugh loud. His legacy will be remembered as we laugh and tell (and re-tell) – and reinvent- all his classic “tall tales” and “fish stories” over grandma’s spaghetti and sauce with Italian bread and cold butter, or the latest catch, fried up with a side of ketchup.
Last, the family would like to thank the DeMay Living Center in Newark, NY. Thank you to the nurses, doctors, aids and other support staff that kept him comfortable, and cared for in him in his last days. Your compassion and assistance to his wife during this difficult time was truly appreciated.
Rest in peace grandpa. May you and Jeanie Beanie continue to love hard and challenge each other.
We are so sorry for your loss. Our deepest sympathy to the whole family.
Ann, so sorry to just happen upon the news of your beloved Tom! Remembering all the fun times (the “Big Ragu” and “Grannie Annie”) we had in Brimfield, when life was good!
I DO still think about you both…
My sincere condolences and love to Ann and yours,
Donna (“Aunt Sweetie”) of the former “Uncle Meanie”) days of long ago…