Thomas Henry Scannicchio

A Mass of Christian Burial for Mr. Thomas Henry Scannicchio, age 91 of Hideaway, Texas, is scheduled for 2:00 PM Monday, April 5, 2021 at the Holy Family Catholic Church in Lindale, Texas. A rosary will begin at 1:30 PM prior to the Mass. Services are under the direction of Caudle-Rutledge-Daugherty Funeral Home in Lindale, Texas. Entombment will follow in the Tyler Memorial Park Cemetery in Tyler, Texas. Thomas Henry Scannicchio, a member of the East Texas community of Hideaway since retiring in 1994, passed away peacefully in his sleep on March 30, 2021. He was born on Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, November 28, 1929 in Manville, New Jersey. Tom is preceded in death by his parents, Tommaso and Elena Yolanda Perozzi Scannicchio (immigrants from Italy) and 7 siblings, Frank, Robert, Renato, Joe, Cecelia, Mary, and Jane. He is survived by his wife, Barbara Ann Kotary Scannicchio, their two sons, Jeff Scannicchio, his wife, Michele and their daughter Alexis Ivey, and Dan Scannicchio, his wife Marla, and their two daughters, Kayla Page and Ellie Page Scannicchio, and his sister, Emma, and her husband, Herb Hessenthaler. Tommy, as his sister, Emma, still calls him today, graduated in 1947 from Bound Brook High School in Bound Brook, New Jersey. After graduation, Tommy worked at the Johns Manville plant, as many of his brothers, as a transite pipe molder and wheel lubrication specialist. Johns Manville was the global leader in the manufacture of asbestos-containing products, including asbestos pipe insulation, asbestos shingles, asbestos roofing materials and asbestos cement pipe. He worked at the plant for five years and then was drafted into the Army in 1951. Basic training was at Fort Indiantown Gap, Pennsylvania and from there he went to Fort Holabird, Maryland, to attend the Army Military Intelligence School. Tom was assigned to Livorno, Italy during the Korean War and was part of the United States Army Counter Intelligence Corps. He spoke 5 languages. Tom was honorably discharged on May 15, 1953. Being drafted was actually a blessing for Tom and his future family as he was able to attend college as a result of the GI Bill and enrolled as a freshman at Louisiana State University (LSU) in 1953. Tom lived in the LSU stadium while attending college. At the time, funds were not allocated in the state budget to expand the stadium, but state funds were allocated to build additional student housing. Student rooms were built into the stadium so they could add additional seating capacity in the stands. This was of course, unairconditioned housing in south. One can only imagine the hot and humid days and nights in the middle of August, especially for a northern boy. While attending LSU, Tom met Barbara Ann Kotary, a secretary in the LSU Agriculture department. Their courtship continued until they were ultimately married on December 22, 1956 at St. Agnes church in Baton Rouge, LA. Tom subsequently received his Bachelor of Science degree in 1957 and thereafter, was employed by the East Baton Rouge School system where he taught math and science at Westdale Jr. High School from 1957 – 1959. While teaching at Westdale, Tom received a National Science Foundation grant to get his master’s degree and once again headed back to his alma mater, LSU, in 1959. While at LSU, Tom and Barbara attended many football games and were in attendance in Death Valley on Halloween night in 1959 when Billy Cannon returned a punt for 89 yards and scored the only touchdown in a hard-fought game against the Old Miss Rebels. Billy Cannon won the Heisman that year and a clip of this play is shown at every home football game. Tom got a master’s degree in Mathematics from LSU in 1960, and his dissertation, which the family still has today, was hand typed and makes no sense to the average Joe. Tom returned to Westdale for one year and then was ready to go on an overseas adventure with his wife and young son, Jeff. Tom and his young family moved to the US Air Force Dependent Schools at Rhein-Main Air Force Base in Frankfurt, Germany, where he taught Junior High Math and Science from 1961 – 1964. While teaching, Tom, Barbara, and Jeff, spent summers and holidays traveling to many countries throughout Europe. In 1964, Tom transferred to Bushey Hall Air Force Base in London, England and taught Jr. High Math and Science again. In 1965, the young family returned to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where Tom was an instructor at LSU from 1965 – 1967. Then he decided to become a student once more and received his Doctorate in Mathematics Education in January 1969 from LSU. Tom’s love for the LSU Tigers stayed with him for life and he attended his last tailgate party underneath the ramps of the PMAC and his last home football game in November 2018, where he saw Joe Burrow, LSU’s 2019 Heisman Trophy winner, play in Tiger Stadium. After receiving his doctorate in 1969 from LSU, Tom and his family moved to Austin, TX where he was employed by Southwest Education Development Laboratory doing Mathematics Education Research under another National Science Foundation grant from 1969 – 1975. Tom was a charter member of the Northwest Austin Kiwanis Club and helped sponsor a camp for disabled children in Mason, TX. He was a member of St. Theresa Church in Austin, Texas where he enjoyed singing in the choir. While in Austin, he also served on the Westover Hills Club Board and served as the 1st President of the Hill Elementary School PTA in Westover Hills. In 1975, Tom moved to a small town in west Texas, Snyder, Texas, home of the best Mexican restaurant in Texas, the Spanish Inn. Tom served as the Elementary Curriculum Director, then was the Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and finally retired from the school district as the Assistant Superintendent of Schools in 1994, after 37 years of service in Education. While in Snyder TX, Tom as an active member of the Lions Club, where he and his son, Dan, went door to door selling light bulbs. Dan is still in sales today. Tom also continued to teach a night class in Mathematics at Western Texas College. He also was a parishioner at St. Elizabeth’s Catholic Church, and served as Lubbock Bishop’s Annual Appeal Chairman, Member of the Bishop’s Guild, Member of the St. Elizabeth’s Men’s Club, and the Parish Council. Despite the embarrassment that his son never won, Tom also initiated the Scurry County Spelling Bee contest and served as the Spelling Bee Director for Scurry County Schools from 1978 – 1994. In 1995, Tom and Barbara moved to Hideaway, TX where he enjoyed retirement by playing golf with his friends and gardening in his huge back yard. Tom taught himself how to play the ukulele, and then he graduated to the guitar. He was a member of the Holy Family Catholic Church - Knights of Columbus, Association of Korean Veterans (Tyler, TX), 9 Hole & 18 Hole Hideaway Men’s Club, Hideaway Square Dance Club and the Hideaway and Lindale Musical Jam Sessions. He volunteered at the Lindale Nursing Care Center and Mineola Community Care Center, providing musical entertainment each month. He wrote lyrics and music for his granddaughters and often played for them when they were young. In February 2020, Tom and Barbara moved to Flower Mound, TX to be closer to Jeff and his family. Tom enjoyed happy hour at Avanti Senior Living Community before the COVID quarantine was put in place. In December 2020 he survived COVID at age 91 and enjoyed asking Alexa questions throughout the day while in quarantine, such as Alexa, can you get me a hamburger, Alexa, play classical music, Alexa, what is the weather, Alexa, play Italian music and Alexa, call Dan and Jeff. Tom led an incredibly long and fulfilling life; he had an amazing wife and family and will rest in eternal peace. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you please consider making a donation to either the Parkinson’s Foundation, or the Alzheimer’s Association.