Thomas E. Fantom

by Contributor | October 21, 2023 9:40 am

OSWEGO – Thomas E. Fantom (Dec. 21, 1940 – October 20, 2023)

Tom Fantom dedicated a good part of his life to serving the community of Oswego as a baseball, basketball and flag football coach in the youth recreational leagues. If you were a young athlete growing up in Oswego in the late 1960s, ‘70s and ‘80s, chances are Tom Fantom knew of you. Many of his past players always said, “If you ever played for Tom Fantom, you never wanted to play for anybody else.”

Thomas E. Fantom, 82, peacefully passed away at his home on Friday, October 20.

A native and lifelong resident of Oswego, Tom was born on December 21, 1940. He was the son of James II and Helen (Schaffer) and the youngest of seven. Tom grew up on the East Side of town with two of his sisters who helped his mother raise him after his father passed away when he was just 9-years old. As a youngster, his passion for sports began – especially for baseball and the New York Yankees – and continued throughout his life.

An adventurer in his teenage years, Tom finished high school and left Oswego briefly. He returned to meet and marry his wife and partner of nearly 60 years, Sheila (Taormina) Fantom. Shortly afterwards they began a family and their oldest son, Steve, was joined by the arrival of Tommy Joe. Tom was employed at the Breneman Shade Cloth Factory and spent 20 years working there, as well as 25 years as a supervisor and foreman in the City of Oswego.

As an Oswego youth sports volunteer coach, Tom Fantom was known as a crafty and clever scout and practitioner when it came to finding talent in the neighborhoods of Oswego. He also had flair and a knack for turning his teams into championship winners. He drafted his Elks Little League teams as if he was a Major League General Manager stocking up his teams for the future. He often drafted a player because he also knew about younger family members who would be available in the coming years. And he was a master coach who also told prospective players not to shine too brightly during tryouts for Little League, CYO or Flag Football. He didn’t want them calling too much attention to other coaches. When draft day would arrive, Tom swooped in and drafted that very same player.

The strategy worked as Tom and his father-in-law “Gano” Taormina racked up multiple Little League City championships and West Side pennants on the diamonds, as well as championships on the basketball courts and flag football fields throughout the 25 years they coached together and beyond. He loved to win and would often say, “Let’s all have fun, but let’s also win. It’s much more fun winning than losing.”

A loving husband, father, brother and friend, Tom was a lifelong communicant of St. Mary’s Church of the Assumption. He is survived by his loving wife of 59 years, Sheila, and his sons Steve (Tina) Flack and Tommy Joe Fantom (Christina LeClair). He also leaves behind beloved grandchildren Crystal (Greg) Flack, Stephen (Morgan) Flack and William, Nicholas and Charlie Fantom, great grandchildren Hazley and Bearon Flack, his sister Margaret Smith, as well as several nieces and nephews.

In addition to his parents, Tom was preceded in death by his siblings Katie Haynes, Liz Sharkey, Jimmy Fantom, Bobby Fantom and Shirley Hammond.

Calling hours for family and friends will occur from 2-5 p.m. on Sunday, October 22 at Nelson Funeral Home at 11 West Albany Street. A funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. on Monday, October 23 at Nelson Funeral Home with entombment following at All Saints Mausoleum in
St. Peter Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Tom Fantom’s name to St. Jude’s Children Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105.

Source URL: https://oswegocountytoday.com/obituaries/funeral-homes/nelson/thomas-e-fantom/

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