Terrence William "Terry" LaBelle

1948 - 2024

WATERLOO -Terrence "Terry" William LaBelle passed away peacefully Wednesday (March 20, 2024) at home with his family by his side.

Family and friends may call 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday (March 28) at Coe-Genung Funeral Home, 46 West Main St., Waterloo, NY.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Pathway Home, P.O. Box 516, Seneca Falls, NY 13148 or Celtic Wrestling c/o Andrew Worden, 2109 Stevenson Road, Seneca Falls, NY 13148.

Terry is survived by his wife of 50 years, Ruth; children Kellen (Megan) LaBelle of Annapolis, MD and René (Jason Breau) Sinicropi of Waterloo, NY; three remarkable grandchildren Saryn, Harrison and Emerson; brother Tim (Deb) LaBelle of Redfield, NY; sisters-in-law Carol LaBelle, Connie LaBelle, Linette Cheetham and Lorrie Mosblack; brother-in-law Alan (Karen) Barney; and many nieces and nephews, who he felt were his bonus children. Whether he was called "Big Terr", "The Terrerizer" or "TerrBear", he was a bonus dad to many of Kellen and René's friends, but no one in the world loved him more than his life companion for the last 15 years, his beagle Biggie.

He was predeceased by his parents; brothers Tom and Ted LaBelle; niece Dodie LaBelle; in-laws Ben and Irene Barney; sister-in-law JoAnn Barney; brothers-in-law Tim Mosblack and Fred Cheetham; and beloved dogs Cinnamon and Dakota.

Terry was born October 8, 1948, at the old Waterloo Hospital on Main Street, the son of George and Katherine LaBelle. He was a 1967 graduate of Waterloo High School, earning accolades as a three-sport athlete playing baseball, football and wrestling. In later years, he became a coach of youth football, peewee and high school wrestling, sharing his skills with the stars of tomorrow.

Shortly after graduation, he took a job at Evans Chemetics in Waterloo where he was Union President for many years and worked there until his retirement on his 65th birthday in 2013. He took a brief hiatus from 1974-76 to help operate LaBelle's Tavern with his father and brother Tim. If those walls could talk what stories they would tell! His pride and joy once he started at Evans was his 1968 GTO purchased in cash for "$2,800 and change". It was that GTO which helped him gain the interest of Ruth Barney who he met at Tom Jones in Lyons. He and Ruth married in May 1974 at a wedding that is still talked about because of the streakers and the wedding cake stolen by teenagers on minibikes.

Terry was truly the life of the party, telling jokes that even after being repeated multiple times made people laugh out loud. He was an avid sports enthusiast, forever cheering for the Chicago Bears, NY Mets and Syracuse University. One of his favorite memories was being in the crowd with Ruth and other Waterloo fans for the first game in the dome at SU on September 20, 1980. But his cheerleading heart was biggest when watching his children compete in their sports, his favorite being Ithaca College Lacrosse. He was the king of the grill, lashing his gas grill to the back of his Suburban and traveling to every game for 5 years, ready to cook anything from hotdogs to steaks for post-game celebrations and for many, many Final Four Lacrosse tournaments. His mission was to treat the Ithaca boys to all things venison. His hunting prowess became legend with each story of "the kill" and he instilled a love of hunting in many young men there that continues today.

Terry loved camping and after 45 years of camper camping in Redfield, NY, he and Ruth built the large camp of their dreams to spend summers and long weekends in. He always had a large garden and loved canning and sharing all that he grew. The days between hunting and fishing seasons were the times that he indulged his artistic side, painting on canvas from memory from things seen or from photographs and gifting his work to many who meant so much to him. Terry was a founding member of the Waterloo Men's Quiot League and played for many years in the shadows of the former LaBelle's Tavern. He was a charter member of the Finger Lakes Conservation Club and the celebrated emcee of the annual Ground Hog party, the highlight of which was the crowning of the Ground Hog king and queen.

The only thing that made him happier than dragging a deer home or landing a huge fish was hugging his grandchildren, being surrounded by friends near and far, or spending time with his beloved family at gatherings large and small. Giving advice, telling jokes and stories, sharing a beer or Crown Royal, screaming at his teams on TV and smiling that ever-lovin' smile were his forte. May he rest peacefully "up at camp, down to Baker's and out to the Powderly Road".

Condolences and remembrances may be sent to www.coegenungfuneralhome.com.