GENEVA \u2014 For most folks, a 90th birthday party is a small family affair … as many friends are no longer around to join in the celebration.<\/p>\n
That was not the case for Tom Constable last weekend, when 100-plus well-wishers gathered at the Sons and Daughters of Italy to mark the milestone with him and enjoy some of the Italian staples he requested for the celebration \u2014 chicken French, pasta and meatballs, sausage and peppers, and giblets, to name just a few.<\/p>\n
The turnout likely was a reflection of what Constable\u2019s daughters call his gift as a connector, and his longtime volunteerism with a constellation of Geneva organizations.<\/p>\n
Constable, a 1954 DeSales High School graduate, was born in Geneva March 28, 1936. He spent much of his adult life giving back to the city he\u2019s always called home.<\/p>\n
Born to Reno and Angie Constable, Tom was one of four children. His sister, Verna Palmieri, lives in Florida. His brother, Marty Constable, resides in Fairport. His other brother, Robert, is deceased.<\/p>\n
He has two daughters, Anne Marino of New Hampshire and Christine Worth of Geneva, and a son with whom he\u2019s recently connected: Tony Walsh of Florida.<\/p>\n
In the week leading up to the big birthday celebration, his two daughters said they were still learning things about their father\u2019s life and his volunteer efforts.<\/p>\n
Professionally, he was employed by the New York Army National Guard. Worth recalls visiting him at his office at the Main Street Armory.<\/p>\n
It was that military ethos of working with others to make things better that sowed the seeds of volunteering.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe were always doing things as a group, even with the wives,\u201d Constable said. \u201cI\u2019m pretty sure that\u2019s where it all started.\u201d<\/p>\n
And this is where it ended, according to his daughters, who provided the following list:<\/p>\n
National Guard, 40-plus years of service.Geneva Kiwanis Club for 27 years, twice served as president, spearheaded the Toys for Tots program, honored with the club\u2019s prestigious fellowship award in 2009.American Legion, Winnek Post 396, 49 years, past member on the advisory board.Salvation Army, has been serving on its advisory board 35-plus years; honored as life member on June 18, 2025; founder of the Salvation Army golf tournament.Knights of Columbus member.Sons and Daughters of Italy, Geneva Lodge 2397, 60-plus-year member, recognized as a Bene Emeritus on June 18, 2025.Geneva Santa Claus for 35-plus years, playing the role at the city tree lighting ceremony, the Sons and Daughters of Italy\u2019s annual children\u2019s Christmas party, and other organizations.<\/p>\n
Constable remains on the Salvation Army advisory board, his sole volunteer commitment these days, but when pressed he said he probably enjoyed his time with Kiwanis the most. He served as president of the group for several terms but said it was the \u201csolid guys on the program\u201d \u2014 like Andy Tyman and Gordon Eddington \u2014 who helped make his tenure so enjoyable.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe were a great crew that worked together and did a lot of good for the city,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
His daughters describe their father as easygoing and well liked, personality traits that came in handy when recruiting other volunteers to the causes he cared about.<\/p>\n
\u201cHis focus is not only himself,\u201d said Worth, adding community service became his passion.<\/p>\n
And, Constable was always willing to learn. Although computers were not his forte, he taught himself how to navigate publishing programs to create newsletters for various organizations.<\/p>\n
Stepping up<\/p>\n
When failing health forced the late former Mayor Jack Starr to abandon his role as Santa for the Kiwanis Club\u2019s Toy for Tots program and other local events, it was longtime friend and fellow Kiwanian Constable who took over those duties \u2014 starting his long career as Santa, a role his daughters said he came to embrace.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe saw the need, stepped up, and did what needed to be done,\u201d Marino said.<\/p>\n
Starr, she said, would often come to her father with an issue that needed to be addressed, and they would put their heads together to find a solution. Starr did so, she believes, because her father could \u201cbring people together and follow through.\u201d<\/p>\n
Santa Abraham, current chair of the Salvation Army of Geneva Advisory Board, got to know Constable in 2019 when she joined the board. She said she\u2019s been grateful for his frank, helpful advice and the work he does on the agency\u2019s golf tournament, coordinating with a dealership for the car raffle and recruiting players.<\/p>\n
True to his \u201cconnector\u201d gift, he also acts as the liaison with the American Legion to coordinate food drives.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe believes in the mission of the Salvation Army and believes in helping those less fortunate,\u201d Abraham said. \u201cThat is just the kind of man he is.\u201d<\/p>\n
Tyman, retired director of the Geneva Housing Authority, described Constable as \u201cjust an all-around great person who cares about the welfare of others.\u201d<\/p>\n
He said Constable and Eddington recruited him to the Kiwanis Club about 40 years ago. Constable, he said, was not just a past president of Kiwanis but also on every committee.<\/p>\n
The next thing Tyman knew, Constable had also gotten him to join the Salvation Army Advisory Board, on which Tyman still serves.<\/p>\n
When asked what drives Constable\u2019s volunteerism, Tyman noted he is a man of faith who sees the good in others. He\u2019s also willing to contribute to causes with both his time and financial resources.<\/p>\n
As a leader, Constable\u2019s professional past informed his approach to problem solving. As Tyman said, his focus was always on getting the mission done, whatever it took.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat was his definite goal,\u201d Tyman said.<\/p>\n
When not volunteering, Constable enjoyed dancing, bowling \u2014 a 299 game was his personal best in 2014 \u2014 and playing golf, which he continues to this day at Big Oak.<\/p>\n
His family has set up a scholarship fund in his honor (see accompanying box) to recognize his legacy and heart for Geneva. In true Constable fashion, he has already donated to it, his daughters said.<\/p>\n
However, Constable said a gift of time is equally valuable.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe need more volunteers; it\u2019s so difficult,\u201d he said, although he\u2019s aware that today people are busy with dual-income families, raising children, or working multiple jobs. \u201cEven just giving one hour in the Christmas season to ring the bell. That would be wonderful.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"GENEVA \u2014 For most folks, a 90th birthday party is a small family affair … as many friends…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":46795,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[27082,65,27084,27083,14642,27081],"class_list":{"0":"post-46794","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-geneva","8":"tag-90th-birthday","9":"tag-geneva","10":"tag-kiwanis","11":"tag-salvation-army","12":"tag-santa","13":"tag-tom-constable"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@ch\/116378625820555553","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46794","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=46794"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46794\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/46795"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=46794"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=46794"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=46794"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}