Thomas Francis Imperato of Pelham Manor, New York, passed away on April 9, 2020, following a valiant battle with cancer. He was 73 years old. Tom was born in Brooklyn, New York, to Joseph and Marie (Adamo) Imperato. He was raised in Howard Beach, Queens, New York, and attended St. John’s Preparatory School. He enlisted in the Air Force in 1965 during the Vietnam War and after serving for four years was honorably discharged as staff sergeant. After his service, he returned to his studies and graduated with a master’s degree in taxation from Iona College.

Tom led a full and varied life. He worked in different fields, including sales, tax accounting, higher education and commercial real estate. He traveled and lived in many places across the United States, Europe and Asia. These many experiences gave him a seemingly endless supply of entertaining stories.

He moved to Pelham Manor with his family in 2000 and quickly became involved in multiple volunteer opportunities to support the broader Pelham community. He was a member of the Pelham Civic Association, where he worked tirelessly to enhance the lives of countless numbers of Pelham students and their families. Tom also served as a trustee on the Pelham Board of Education from 2013 to 2018, where most recently he was instrumental in the development of the 2018 school bond referendum. Tom could be found passionately supporting Pelham sports teams, academics, music and extracurricular activities; he was a familiar face to so many in the community and schools. He leaves behind a legacy of community service and continues to inspire others to do the same.

Tom had a deep love for his family and is survived by his wife of 22 years, Theresa Brasile; children, Joe (wife Melissa), Laura, Olivia and Sam; grandchildren, Caden, Celia, Azlan and Fortione; sister, Gerri Feldman (husband Alan), and his niece, nephews, grand nieces and nephews and cousins.

His family will hold a celebration of his life at a later date, where Tom’s favorite grappa will be served. Donations can be made in his memory to the Pelham Civic Association (PelhamCivics.org).