Thomas N. Zatezalo
September 16, 1973 ~ December 14, 2022
Born in:
Weirton, WV
Resided in:
Weirton, WV
Thomas N. Zatezalo of Weirton passed away unexpectedly on Wednesday, December 14, 2022, in Jacksonville, FL. He was 49 years old.
He was born in Weirton on September 16, 1973, the son of Rae Moore Zatezalo of Weirton.
He was a member of the All Saints Greek Orthodox Church in Weirton and a 1991 graduate of Weir High School.
Thomas served his country proudly in the United States Marine Corps.
Thomas knew everything about sports, if you needed a stat about a specific player ask Thomas, and he could tell you. He would often speak to his uncle Mike about the games he watched, giving his perspective, especially about his favorite player, Tom Brady.
Thomas loved his family, and his family had an equal amount of love for him in return. His aunt Janet said he was a fun-loving person, someone that everyone wanted to be around.
Left to cherish Thomas’s memory with Love are his mother Rae, his Aunt Janet Ream, his Uncle Mike Gramatikos, his four-legged friend, Hemmy and many cousins.
Thomas’s family will receive friends from 2- 6 pm at the Greco-Hertnick Funeral Home, 3219 Main Street Weirton on Tuesday, December 27, 2022, where Services will be conducted on Wednesday, December 28, 2022, at 11 AM.
Fr. Andrew Nelko will preside.
Burial will be in Chapel Hill Memorial Gardens.
I’ll love you until my last breath Tommy…always yours…Tami
Heartbroken to hear that you’ve left this earth way too soon. Rest in peace, Tommy.
Tommy,
My best friend since the 7th grade. I have no idea what I’m going to do now that you have passed. I will miss you greatly! You’re so loved beyond measure! 💔
Love,
Alissa
Heartbroken over the tragic loss of my beloved friend (brother) Tommy. He had an incredible energy, love and passion and always lit up the room-always. He loved his family and friends deeply and cared for the well being of those around him. Tommy’s had strong beliefs and walked the walk proudly serving this country. We were so fortunate to have him in our lives and will miss him deeply. Sending our love and prayers with heavy hearts to his mother and the entire family. May his memory be eternal!
Tommy-
You were truly one of a kind and I’m so blessed to have known you for so long. Thank you for all of the great memories. You will be so missed. Love you!
Someone so special can never be forgotten, may your soul rest in peace. ✨
Brother, I am at a complete loss for words… We just talked a couple of days before… Our friendship was and will always remain amazing… I dont even know what to say… You were my best friend, and I’ll miss you terribly… Thats putting it pretty light.. Prayers to you’re family and friends… I love ya, man… I’ll see ya again..
Babe, so sorry to hear about Tom’s passing. We hold fond memories of him being our ring bearer. May his memory be eternal.
So sad to know that you will no longer walk on this earth. I did not know you long, but I knew you long enough to know that you were a good person. I will miss your holiday greetings. You will be remembered fondly.
I’m stunned beyond belief to find this today… Tom and I hadn’t talked since Thanksgiving, and I was missing the easy banter and hearing about his adventures. I’m so sad to realize he’s no longer of this earth. We’ve lost a genuinely amazing person. I’m so very sorry for his family and his friends and his sweet kiddo. RIP Tom!
Thomas please call me back. This can’t be real please. I don’t know how to live in this world without you. You have been my best friend for twelve years. Please, this can’t be real. We use to talk almost everyday. Your birthday is one day before mine. I’ve cried everyday since the last day we talked. We last talked the day you passed away. I cried everyday before that day that we didn’t speak. Being separated from you has been the most painful thing I’ve ever been thru. Sometimes I try to convince myself that we are closer now than ever and I think I’ll have to keep thinking that until we meet again. I love you.
To the father of my child, and the love of my life… I will keep your secrets safe with me. I always have and I always will have to I guess.
From the time you tricked me into giving you my phone number when I was 21, and telling me that night… That you have no idea how the hell it’s happening or what’s going on, but you were completely in love with me…and that you will never be the same and that I’ve ruined you…lol… we went on one hell of a crazy ass ride… Mind, body and soul… that through the ups, and the downs, the in’s and out’s… being each others soulmates I guess that’s what kept us together, but also kept us apart. Your daughter misses you… but she knows she’ll see you again. I miss you… But you remind me and show me every single day, almost that you’re literally standing next to me… Chiming in on a literally everything that I do! Like really really funny yesterday playing Better Man from Taylor Swift, nonstop on my phone and freezing it because I called you an asshole in a story. I don’t have that song downloaded, but I remember you wanting me to listen to it begging me to listen to it last year… actually you played it for me the last time we spoke. And you are an asshole…. But you were my asshole. Through everybody and everything, you always wanted me to know that at the end of the day just like when I was 21… it was always with me, it was always us…and now us Three. I love you of course… and I miss you… No hurry up and do something really weird like put on John Wick on my TV for no reason! And I see what you did with our daughter… It was no Taylor Swift in my house up until I don’t know last week because you probably latched onto her and went to the concert!! I see you! Lol lol! I hear you! I love you. Never ever stop please! Oh, you can definitely stop with the 80s though… that’s annoying.
How you have managed to fill my Apple Music app with 80s music I really have no idea but there’s 2023 hunting stuff is pretty dope! I love you I always will xoxo your wife and baby mama…
Tommy.. I’m writing this 11 months later. I found out 6 months late that you had passed away. That alone crushed me. We were supposed to fly out to see each other.
We always lost touch and always reconnected through all these years. When we reconnected this last time- it was the same as always. Nothing but love and jokes, bullshitting and catching up. We were supposed to see each other for my birthday in November. After some time I called you.. your phone was off.. disconnected. I found that so strange but thought maybe something happened with your phone? Some more time went by- your phone was still disconnected. I thought we’d find our way.. we always do. More time goes by and the number is still not working. I ask my cousin to help me find you- to which he finds your obituary. Tommy, I was fucking devastated. I found out you passed away the morning of my sons 8th grade graduation. I didn’t know how the f**k I was going to get through. I couldn’t wrap my head around the fact that I was never going to be able to speak to you again. You’re supposed to be like Clark Kent remember? Superhuman, unkillable. I have so many questions but no one to answer them. It’s torture.
I hope you weren’t in pain, I hope you knew how much you were loved.
I miss you so much and I think of you all the time. Especially through music.
Heaven knows I’m miserable now.
I love you Tommy. Until the next time we reconnect 🧡
KT… I feel like our stories are so similar. Tommy and I met at WVU and kept in touch over the years, always reconnecting when we’d lose touch. When I didn’t hear from him at Christmas, I pinged him on New Years and then life took hold of me and I didn’t realize until Easter that I had never heard back from him. Which was definitely an odd behavior. I pinged him again, and that time instead of the iPhone blue bubble, my text went across as green. I quickly googled and then sat in shock and sobbing as I read his obituary. I hate not having answers and it is torture. On Veterans Day weekend I find myself thinking about him AGAIN still just as sad as I was the day I realized I’d never get one of his random ridiculous texts again. Tommy was a giant pain in the ass, sarcastic as hell, infuriating at times… but yet lovable despite it all.
I didn’t know you for very long, but in that short time I came to respect you deeply. You are a hero and a patriot. You were a loyal friend, always there to pick up the phone. You were a brave marine, stepping up to defend our country and your brothers at arms when the country needed you. You knew sacrifice in a way only those that served in brutal conflict can understand. I wish I got to know you better. I know the ones who love you still are greatly pained by your passing and think of you all the time, your impact on their lives was so significant. You will always be a hero, and should be remembered as such.