Thomas Francis Tully, 85, entered into eternal life on February 6, 2025. Tom was born in New York City on August 13, 1939, to Patrick and Ellen "Rose" Tully. He was the third of seven children.
Tom attended St. Joseph's elementary school in the Bronx, proudly skipping the 6th grade, and attended Cathedral Prep in Manhattan for high school. He was the first of his Irish immigrant family to graduate college when he received a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Fordham University. Tom was a lifelong learner and believed education was the key to a good life. He read the NY Times cover to cover every day of his adult life, taught himself multiple foreign languages (most passionately Italian) and actively sought the enrichment of adult education and cultural events.
Tom spent his entire career as a federal government employee, beginning with a job at the US Postal Service to put himself through college. He went on to hold leadership positions in multiple agencies, culminating in his position as Regional Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services. He retired with over 30 years of service. Politics and government were in his blood.
Tom married Beverly (Kinkade) Tully in 1969 and had two children, Patricia and Liam, who were an enduring source of pride. Tom's second marriage to Diane Gennaro Tully was arguably his perfect match. They married in 1996 and spent almost 30 years traveling the world, discussing politics, attending Broadway shows and spending time with family and friends.
Of course, you couldn't tell the story of Tom's life without mentioning tennis. For 50 years, he played tennis multiple times per week. His moods were directly linked to the quality and quantity of his play. If you called and asked how he was, inevitably his answer was something like, "Well, I haven't been able to play tennis in four days due to the rain, so not wonderful".
Tom cared deeply for his family and was overjoyed with his grandchildren. He leaves to mourn his passing: his loving wife, Diane; his daughter Patricia and son-in-law Steve; his son Liam and his daughter-in-law Lauren; his brilliant, adorable, fun-loving grandchildren, Jackson, Daniel and Piper; his accomplished step-grandchildren Holly & Violet; his brother Martin and sister-in-law Maureen; his sister Ellen and brother-in-law Sean; his brother John and sister-in-law Kathleen; ten of his favorite nieces and nephews and many other relatives and friends. He was predeceased by his parents, Patrick and Rose, and siblings, Mary Ann, Michael and Patrick. He will be eternally missed.
