Thomas Anthony Palazzo

A Clockwork Life
Thomas Palazzo was perpetually in a rush, but only because there was so much he longed to do.

At 5, he harassed another boy, Mark Morell, for holding up the water fountain line at the Westchester Country Club. "We were friends ever since," Mr. Morell said. "Tommy would basically tell me what we were doing every minute of the day."

Mr. Palazzo, 44, typically rose at 4 a.m. and headed to the gym, where he would furiously pedal his favorite exercise bike. He prized his 23-foot boat, a Mako, and it was not unusual for him to indulge in a 5 a.m. water-skiing or fishing trip on Long Island Sound. Yet he always got to his desk at Cantor Fitzgerald by 8:30.

"He would shower on the dock with a hose, then hop on a train," Mr. Morell said. "He ran like a clock."

Mr. Palazzo, who lived in Armonk, N.Y., also coached lacrosse and golfed, skied and snowboarded. He whisked his wife, Lisa, and three daughters off to Nantucket every summer. In the winter, they spent weekends on the slopes of Stratton, Vt. "You know how they say, 'He who dies with the most toys wins'?" Mr. Morell said. "That was Tommy. He had a big energy level and a big heart."

Profile published in THE NEW YORK TIMES on December 12, 2001.


PALAZZO-Thomas Anthony. Of Armonk, N.Y. Beloved husband of Lisa Ann Palazzo. Devoted father of Kristen, Keri and Kaitlin. Loving son of Dr. & Mrs. Philip J. Palazzo. Dear brother of Philip, Dick, Bettina, Robbie, Toni and Barbara. Also survived by several nieces and nephews. Mr. Palazzo worked for Cantor Fitzgerald on the 104th floor of the World Trade Center. The Palazzo and Carvin families will be offering a memorial mass at the Church of the Resurrection, 910 Boston Post Road, Rye, N.Y. in celebration of his life at 12 noon, Saturday, September 22. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the Thomas A. Palazzo Memorial Fund and sent to P.O. Box 296, Rye, N.Y. 10580.