Anthony DeTomaso

AUBURN - Anthony DeTomaso, 86, the husband of the late Elizabeth Aubin DeTomaso, of 114 Ross Place, Auburn, died Friday, Feb. 11, 2011, in Auburn Memorial Hospital. A life resident of Auburn, Tony was a communicant of St. Francis Church where he volunteered for many of the church activities. After his retirement from the Columbian Rope Company, he was employed at Dunn and McCarthy Shoe Company and Mercy Rehabilitation Center. He was an Army veteran of WWII and a member of the 299th Combat Engineers. His battalion was in the first wave that landed on the beaches of Normandy during the D-Day invasion of Europe. Anthony was very instrumental in perpetuating the memory of that operation by organizing a reunion of the 299th, on the 6th of June, for the past several years. He was a member of the Carnicelli-Indelicato Post 1776 of the American Legion, St. Francis Church Sports Hall of Fame, an avid bowler and a member of the 700 Club, was recognized as the Military Man of the Year by the Italian Heritage Society and enjoyed the hours he spent at OTB. He is survived by four sons, Domenic and his wife, Joanne, of Ohio, William and his wife, Judy, Anthony ' Acorn' and his wife, Pamela, and Edward and his wife, Melody, all of Auburn; a daughter, Laura Cushing of Auburn; a brother, Angelo and his wife, Barbara, of Auburn; nine grandchildren; two great-grandchildren and several nieces and nephews. In addition to his wife, Tony was predeceased by his parents, Domenic and Maria Nanna DeTomaso, and a brother, William Friends are invited to join the family for a Mass of Christian burial to be offered by the Rev. Louis Vasile, at 11 a.m. Tuesday, in St. Francis Church. Burial will be in St. Joseph Cemetery where full Military Honors will be afforded Tony. The funeral cortege will pause at Auburn City Hall to allow the Old Wheeler Bell to toll in respect for his service to his country during WWII. Calling hours will be 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. Monday in the Cheche Funeral Home Inc., 1778 Clark Street Road, Auburn. To know Tony, was to know as nice a man anyone could meet in a lifetime. To send a message to the family, sign our guest book at www.auburnpub.com and click on obituaries.