Palmyra: Tom passed on from this life on Wednesday, June 28th,surrounded by his loving  family.  He is survived by his wife and lifelong partner of 52 years, Andie; his children Brad and Scott, three siblings, Betty Maute, Gerald and John Ghidiu, and his grandchildren Olivia and Tyler.

Service information with new R.S.V.P. email is below.

Tom was the firstborn child of John and Rencie Ghidiu, born in Cleveland Ohio, and moved to Camillus, New York in 1959.  He quickly  decided that music was his calling, and while still in high school formed a band called the Javelins, which played at local establishments.

Tom received his undergraduate degree in music education  from Syracuse University  and his graduate degree from Ithaca College.  Immediately after his undergrad work, Tom began teaching music in the Rochester area, first at Rush-Henrietta schools and then the remainder of his career in Fairport.  For  37 years, Tom helped students discover the joy, pride, and comradery  in their pursuit of music.

It is no secret that Tom loved working with student jazz ensembles. And many of his groups not only won local competitions, but were recognized nationally and internationally as exceptional, often returning with trophies, but more importantly, memories to last a lifetime.

Tom was passionate about life, and above all else, enjoyed spending time with his family, not only at his Palmyra home, but on cruises and destination gatherings, and at  the sporting events his children and grandchildren participated in. In addition, he and his family spent time - boating, skiing on local and distant ski slopes, camping, motocross racing and in the pool he built at his home.  He also enjoyed sibling get-togethers for brunch during the winter months, and afternoon get-togethers throughout the summer months.

Tom fell in love with motorcycles and racing at a young age, and passed that love on to his wife and sons. They spent many a weekend in the RV traveling to local and national motocross events throughout the US and Canada. When his sons became older, they also enjoyed riding street bikes together. On one occasion, he took a weeklong motorcycle trip with his sons,  brother, and nephew, throughout New England.  When two of the group had tire and engine problems, he altered the schedule so both machines could be repaired in order to complete the trip. The “boys” all had a great time and took some great pictures at the top of Mount Washington.

 Tom’s first experience working on bikes was at Tom Robinson’s cycle shop in Rochester, where he learned not only how to repair a bike, but also how to build one. As time went by, he and his sons became members of the Palmyra Racing Association and spent many hours together on the club’s  motocross track in Palmyra.  Later in life, when he wasn’t teaching or spending time with his family, he frequently rode with Harv’s Harley Owners Group where he served as an officer for many years.  Tom was fortunate enough to  meet and  make many long term friends in all three groups, and valued the time he spent with them.

One of Tom’s favorite pastimes was entertaining friends and family, always master of the grill and smoker.  More often than not, horseshoes was a favorite game to play, and he hosted tournaments for over 17 years.

Two of Tom’s greatest gifts were his ability to teach and his willingness to help others.  Throughout his adult life, he gladly shared his knowledge of music, mechanics, plumbing, electrical work, welding, and tool usage with anyone who needed help with what appeared to be an insurmountable problem.  If you had a problem, a question or just needed a second set of hands, Tom was always there to help.He made the world a better place, and will be missed by all those who knew him.

Please consider memorials to the Monroe County Humane Society at Lollypop Farm, 99 Victor Rd, Fairport, NY 14450, https://www.lollypop.org/ OR to the Humane Society of Wayne County, 1475 County House Rd, Lyons, NY 14489, https://waynehumane.org/

We invite you to join with us

in celebrating the life of Tom Ghidiu,

sharing good company, good food, and good memories

At Milly’s Handle Bar Café

Sunday, August 6, 2023, 3-7pm

3120 Kittering Road, Macedon N.Y.

 As Tom wished, we will be providing a casual buffet dinner,

and an abundance of good stories!

If you will be enjoying dinner with us,

kindly RSVP for planning purposes, to (note email has changed) tjghidiu@gmail.com by July 28.

(No RSVP necessary to just stop in and enjoy the festivities.)

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Thomas J. Ghidiu, please visit our floral store.