Thomas Joseph Edward Hennessy Jr. was born July 12, 1948 in Brooklyn, NY. He moved to Bellerose in 1958 with his parents Thomas Sr. and Dorothy and his brothers and his sister Eileen, whom he loved and adored, and his Nana Florence, whom he loved more than words can say. Tommy would come into the house and say, “Yo, Harry,” and Nana would answer, “Yeah, Schwartz.” Those nicknames they had for each other expressed a very special love.

In 1967, at the age of 19, Tommy enlisted in the United States Army 101st Airborne Division. Tommy used to tell the story about the day, his sister’s birthday, April 27, he “zigged when he should have zagged,” stepping on a landmine. His parents received a telegram that he was missing in action, and then a few days later, on their wedding anniversary, they received another telegram that he had been located and had been wounded in action. His right knee was blown out and his leg was fused with a hunk of metal—hence his limp. Tommy would say that he had not had a day without pain since he was 19. Despite his hardships, Tommy loved his country and was honored to have served in the United States Army.

Tommy and Eileen met in Kerrigan’s Pub in Bellerose, their home away from home. After eight years of dating, they were married on September 1, 1990 with friends and family. The love was over- flowing. It was such a fun wedding, just short of 25 years ago.

In 1997, Tommy and Eileen moved to Cochecton, NY, where they were going to live and grow old together. They never had kids. They were blessed with lots of nieces and nephews, and many cousins. They had their friends’ kids to spoil as well.

Tommy was a lifetime member of the VFW in Bellerose. He belonged to Disabled American Veterans.

He was a fighter, and was going to beat the throat cancer with which he was diagnosed in late 2014. Two days before he died, Tommy and the two Eileens, his wife and sister, along with his niece Margaret, were given the good news that a CT scan showed that all cancer was gone. But the radiation side effects of a blood infection, a skin infection, and inability to swallow did him in. He was not able to eat and lost over 60 pounds. He aspirated in his sleep, yet another battle that he fought. When the angels came to take him home to heaven, they took a kind, loving, sweet person.

St. Peter—hope you’re in the mood to argue, because Hennessy is coming.

Tommy’s war is over: “Who loves you, Baby?”

A memorial will be held in late April or May in Cochecton. Donations can be made to The Wounded Warrier Project, tinyurl.com/lp78k4y or Wounded Warrior Project, P.O. Box 758517, Topeka, KS 66675.