LeRoy Pennysaver & News

LE ROY PENNYSAVER & NEWS - MARCH 10, 2019 DJ, Volunteer, Helper, Humor Was His Way of Life by Pat Iamon The world has lost a kind and gentle soul in Tom Mazerbo last Friday, March 1, 2019. Tom was the reason Genesee County Dances for Adults with Developmental Disabilities ever came to be. Those dances continued for 14 years from 2001 - 2015. When I originally initiated the dances, I inquired about a DJ that would volunteer his time. I was given Tom’s name. I called Tom and he and Debby happily came to the Gilliam-Grant Community Center where I was interning and he DJ’d that dance. As I was thanking him at the end of that dance he instantly said, “When is the next one? I’ll bring the pizza!” That question was the beginning of our friendship and a joint volunteer project that introduced an underserved community to a “normal” community activity. Up until then most of the interaction that adults with developmental disabilities had was within the agency that was serving them. The dances opened up a new world to these folks. They became a most-anticipated time each month as that was when they could reunite with old friends, and/or make new friends. The dancers, their staff and families quickly got to know Tom. He would play their favorite songs, give them hugs and listen to their stories. He would celebrate their happy times and hug them through the bad times. The dances moved from the Gillam-Grant Community Center to the Byron Fire Hall, of which I am a member, around year three; and the Byron Ladies Auxiliary became our sponsor. Our Byron Fire Department embraced the dances. The firemen would set up the hall the day before and many of our Ladies Auxiliary and firemen volunteered and happily interacted with our dancers. Soon our families and friends would also volunteer. As the dances grew in popularity and population and we needed additional volunteers. Byron- Bergen High School and LeRoy High School students did some volunteering as part of their coursework. Some of these students actually went on to careers in special education. Tom’s enthusiasm was contagious! His humor would light up the room. He was the entertainment and I was the administrator of our project. Tom would help pull our dance themes together with music and costumes! He would put on his cowboy hat for our Country Western dances, his floral shirt for the Hawaiian dances, and would cuff his jeans and rolled up his T-shirt sleeves for the Sock Hop. Tom especially loved the Christmas dances, he would play double-duty. Tom would sneak away from the DJ table leaving his wife, Debby, in charge and re-enter the room as Santa, Ho, Ho, Hoing all the way to the front. Santa would then welcome each dancer up to sit and have their special time with him. I don’t know who enjoyed that time more, our dancers, or Tom! When we decided to do a PJ dance Tom and Debby collected a huge bunch of stuffed animals to give away. The 3rd Thursday each September - May for 14 years Tom and I, with the help of many, many volunteers over the years, provided a much anticipated safe and fun social event. Sometimes if I thought Tom was running late for a dance, I would call him and he would come up with some convoluted problem to convince me he forgot about the dance!! He loved to stress me joking around!! After working with ARC and NYSDDSO and individuals living at home with their families, we contacted the NYS School for the Blind inviting them to join us at the dances. Soon they were regulars there, too. Many of their students had more physical impairment in addition to blindness. Tom welcomed them all, even the young man with a hearing disability that insisted on touching the speaker to hear the sound vibrations throughout the whole dance! Tom so loved working with these folks that upon his retirement he got a part-time job driving a van for ARC. He would joke and kid with everyone. Everyone loved Tom and looked forward to seeing him each month. He and his wife, Debby, not only gave of their time but also many times donated money and gifts for our dancers. Regardless of Tom’s injuries over the years he would rarely cancel, even if he had to limp in. Tom lived to make others laugh. His humor was contagious. His passing will strongly sadden the dancers that loved him and the rest of us who did, too. The whole community will feel his loss. I know that in addition to the dances, Tom volunteered in many different ways for our Fire Department events, his beloved town of Stafford’s events and most any other notable cause over the years. In talking about Tom with my sister, Laura Platt, she reminded me how she first met Tom. Laura’s daughter and my niece, Tina, was tragically killed in car accident at age 18. Tom heard about it from a friend and showed up at her home to comfort her. That’s the kind of person he was. His kindness was given openly and unconditionally. He was never afraid to shed a tear either, he was very compassionate. Because of Tom’s government position, he often rubbed elbows with high ranking government officials, but he was always unimpressed with their positions or power. He had an outgoing personality, and spoke his mind; always favoring the underdog. He would take the time to listen, especially to our dancers. He treated them, their staff and families with utmost respect whether at the dances or out in the community. I wish there were more people like Tom; the world would be a much better place! RIP my friend. Your kindness will never be forgotten!