Obituary of Francis J. Tandle

F. Joseph Tandle, Jr. GENEVA - F. Jospeh Tandle, Jr., passed away peacefully on Thurs. (July 28, 2011), at home. Friends may call from 4 to 8 p.m. Tues. (Aug. 2) at the Palmisano-Mull Funeral Home LLC, 28 Genesee St. Geneva. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 9:30 a.m. (Aug. 3), at St. Francis De Sales Roman Catholic Church, followed by full military honors at the church. Contributions may be directed to Ontario-Yates Hospice, 756 Pre-Emption Rd. Geneva, NY 14456. Joe was born on July 24, 1950, in Geneva, and was the son of Francis J. 'Sonny' Tandle, Sr. and the late Jean Patricia (Larsen) Tandle. He graduated from Geneva High School in 1968, and also attended FingerLakes Community College. His first jobs as a teenager were as a playground leader for the city of Geneva and at the Lochland School. While attending GHS, Joe played football and baseball, swam on the varsity team for four years, and served as its captain in his junior year. Joe served in the U.S Army, 101st Airborne Division, from 1970 to 1972, and was the recipient of several awards including the Bronze Star and the National Defense Service Medal for meritorious service in the Vietnam War. He worked as a plumber-pipefitter from 1973 to 2011, for many area contractors as well as the VA Hospital in Canandaigua for eight years, and spent the last 16 years of his career working for Sodexo at Hobart & William Smith Colleges in Geneva. A lifelong Yankees fan, Joe loved baseball and played in the Geneva Men's Slow Pitch League from 1988 to 2004. He was a coach for Geneva T-Ball, Phelps Little League, and Geneva Little League, where he coached nine Little League All-Star teams, including a team that placed third in the NYS Finals, in 2002. He will be sadly missed by his three children, Janelle (Joseph) DiMartino of Amherst, NY, Matthew (Sarah) Tandle of Baldwinsville, NY, and Jenna Tandle of Geneva; grandson, Anthony Joseph DiMartino; father, Francis J. 'Sonny' Tandle, Sr. of Geneva; brother, Terry (Carol) Tandle of Geneva; sisters, Joan Tandle and Joyce Tandle, both of Geneva, Patricia (Wade) Dutcher of Phelps, Laurie (Daniel) Margeson of Waterloo, and several aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews. Joe was predeceased by his mother, Jean 'Pat' Tandle, and two brothers, Michael and Ted Tandle.