Obituary of Thomas Joseph Esposito Jr.

Thomas Joseph Esposito Jr., 59, of East Haven passed away peacefully on November 7, 2018. He was born October 9, 1959 in New Haven to the late Thomas and Evelyn (Chickanis) Esposito. Thomas is survived by his three loving sisters, Diane Vaiuso (Peter) of Hamden, Suzanne Smith (Thomas) of Branford and Deborah DeVeza (Andrew) of Austin, MN. He is also survived by eight nieces/nephews, Joseph Vaiuso, Marc Vaiuso, Kristy Vaiuso, Julie Smith, Kevin Smith, Kelly Smith, Dylan DeVeza and Alyssa DeVeza along with great niece, Julianna Vaiuso and great nephew, Rocco Vaiuso. 

Tommy worked for many years at Sealy Mattress and later at the Branford Community House. He enjoyed vacations to Lake George, Wildwood and Disney with his family and attended family reunions in Saratoga, Martha’s Vineyard and Dewey Beach. He loved to go bowling, fishing and camping and spent many weekends browsing flea markets and tag sales collecting, among other things, German Shepherd items for his curio cabinet. 

Affectionately called the mayor of East Haven by many who knew him, you could always find Tommy sitting on his porch on Dodge Avenue waving to everyone driving by and watching softball games across the street at Memorial Field when, more often then not, he’d get asked to fill in for a team short on players. He also spent a lot of time walking his cherished dog, Max, around the park and made many trips to The Corner Stop buying coffee and countless lottery tickets, always dreaming about what he’d do with the winnings. 

Tommy was a beloved Uncle to his many nieces and nephews. He treasured visits with his aunts, uncles and cousins, was always ready to lend a helping hand and was known by all to have a heart of gold. 

The family would like to express their gratitude to the countless nurses, caregivers, the BH Care advocates and the Community House staff who attentively assisted Tommy over the years. Their kindness is greatly appreciated. 

Family will receive friends on Sunday, November 11, 2018 from 2 – 5 p.m. at the Clancy-Palumbo Funeral Home (Clancy Funeral Home) 43 Kirkham Ave., East Haven. His funeral procession will leave Clancy-Palumbo Funeral Home on Monday, November 12 at 10:40 a.m. for a Mass of Christian Burial at 11 a.m. in St. Bernadette Catholic Church, 385 Townsend Ave., New Haven. Burial will be at a later date. In lieu of flowers, please make donations to BHcare, 14 Sycamore Way, Branford CT 06405 in memory of Thomas Joseph Esposito Jr.