Thomas W. Zitay, of Merrick, NY, passed away peacefully surrounded by his family on Sunday, February 25, 2024. He was the loving husband of Bambi (Zalud) Zitay, for over 46 years. Tom was born in New York City on November 25, 1946. He was one of three sons of the late Paul and Helen (Juse) Zitay. He is survived by his wife, his five children, Brooke (Matt) DeSanto of Sea Cliff, NY; Taylor (Kevin) Kahn of Wantagh, NY; Skylar (Frank) Faulkner of Wantagh, NY; Blake Zitay, and Morgan Zitay of Merrick, NY. He is also survived by his grandchildren, Lydia and Nola DeSanto, Wyatt Kahn, Jack and Wes Faulkner, and had a sixth grandchild on the way (Baby Faulkner); and many brothers-and sisters-in law, nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his brothers Paul Zitay and Daniel Zitay. Tom was beloved by his extended family and friends- always the life of the party at the Zitay residence, from family birthdays to holidays, gradutations to milestones, you could always count on him for a smile and a laugh. A retiree of the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) Management, Tom enjoyed spending his days at the gym, golfing, enjoying a cigar, or watching his New York Yankees. Tom was a devoted husband, father and grandfather and would tell anyone who would listen how PROUD he was of his family. They will miss him tremendously as they recount the many blessings and moments they were proud to celebrate by his side.

Tom's family is grateful for the doctors at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and NYU-Langone that provided great care to him and displayed compassion and kindness in his final moments. Despite a diagnosis of stage IV metastatic colon cancer in November 2022, Tom exceeded all expectations and battled through treatment for a courageous 16+ months. He fought the good fight, and he kept the faith, until the very end. Tom's family will receive relatives and friends at the O'Shea Funeral Home in Wantagh, NY on Sunday, March 3 from 1:00 - 3:00 PM and 6:00 - 8:00 PM. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Monday, March 4 at 10:00 AM at Curé of Ars Roman Catholic Church, 2323 Merrick Avenue, Merrick, NY 11566. Interment to follow at St. Charles Cemetery, 2015 Wellwood Avenue Farmingdale, NY 11735.