Sandy Michael Tomaselli
Aka: “Sandman”, “Piano Man”, “Sandstorm”, “Fence Dr.”, “The Hammer”, “Dr. Sandy T.” and “The Chef”. Born October 11, 1946 in Rochester, New York to Michael and Mickey Tomaselli, Sandy departed this life on September 23, 2016. He is survived by his wife of thirteen and a half years Lesia Groover Tomaselli, three step-daughters and sons: Penny and husband Joseph Coleman, Dina and husband Brandon Chance, and Sarah and husband Anthony Stafford; six grandchildren, Casey, Travis, Cade, Kailey, Morgan and Corben; his brother Michael and wife Delma Tomaselli; and two sisters Dolores and husband Rob Reed and Kathy and husband Wayne Schultz; as well as numerous nieces and nephews.
Sandy,… an instant friend to all, enemy to none. To the ladies: always a gentleman, to the men: a “buddy” to count on, and to the children: an entertainer and one who listens.
From a young man, Sandy committed himself to the country he loved, and served Her with his ability and dedication, following and doing things “by the book”. He was first in the marines, then the Air Force, later the Army, and finally retiring from the US Coast Guard.
In his down time, Sandy earned a PhD in Martial Arts and a respected name in Law Enforcement for Harris, Montgomery and Liberty Counties.
After retirement, filling the empty time during the day, fulfilling a burning desire to serve, he tapped into one of his long time passions, went to school and earned the title of “Chef”. Look out restaurant owners, for now “Chef” Tomaselli knows how the food is supposed to look and taste and no one was going to serve it to him half way without a good lesson from: Chapter 5, paragraph 3, line 6, section 7 of “How to be a good Chef”, first edition.
Sandy loved a “good deal”. There was always a “better trade” just around the corner. You might not think it was a good deal, but that didn’t matter to Sandy. The fun was in the bartering.
While looking for pictures of Sandy with a serious look, suddenly it was clear that there were none. Sandy wore a smile every day. Someone once asked him why he was so happy, ready to laugh and be silly? To which, with a smile he replied “because I have to be serious in my line of work, so whenever I’m out of uniform I’m going to live life to its’ fullest and make people around me happy”, and that he did.
Sand was faithful to those he loved and devoted to the task at hand. With all the proper gear on, Sandy would catch the biggest unseen fish, catch a glimpse of the tallest, hairiest animal, and when it came time to knowing what to do, none was his equal.
We loved him and will never forget him. His memory will always bring a smile to our face and an embrace to our heart.