'Godspeed GS-9': Sgt. Sanfratello honored in service at GCC

In a service inside the Call Arena at Genesee Community College, Sgt. Thomas A. Sanfratello was remembered as a man who was committed to protecting and serving our community, a man who loved his children, and as a man who enjoyed his work and his hobbies.

"Grandma Sanfratello stopped me last night," said Pastor Ryan Macdonald of City Church, who officiated the service. "She said, 'Come here, pastor.' She called me over for a beautiful moment, and she whispered to me, she said, 'Pastor, please tell the people tomorrow how much Tom loved this community. Please tell them tomorrow that Jesus gave us time for a moment, for a season, and then Jesus came, and he walked him through those pearly gates and into heaven.' She went on to tell me, 'Tell the people today that Tom passed doing what he loved to do. No greater love than a man show than that he would lay his life down for his friends. Please tell them, pastor, that Tom loved being a servant and that Tom shared his love as long as he could.' 

"I believe with all my heart," Macdonald added, "that Sgt Sanfratello understood God's love."

Sanfratello died early Sunday morning at Batavia Downs while trying to deal with two customers who had been asked to leave 34 Rush. One of those customers is accused of violently attacking the 32-year veteran of the Sheriff's Office, reportedly pulling a heavy chain from around his neck and striking Sanfrantello with it. The cause of death has not been released, but the suspect, Michael J. Elmore, 33, of Batavia, has been charged with manslaughter.

Saturday's funeral was attended by hundreds of first responders, including police officers from throughout the region and from as far away as New York City and Chicago.  There were also hundreds of members of the community at the Call Arena, including friends and family.

His sister Michelle Panasiewicz and his son Ian Sanfratello, along with Sheriff William Sheron, were the speakers.

Panasiewicz recalled growing up with her brother and watching him grow into a man who served his community and loved his family, especially his children, Ian, Kyla, and Alexis.

"Nothing made him prouder than spending time with them and watching them grow into the people that they have become," Panasiewicz said.

Growing up, as siblings do, Tom and Michelle had their differences, but as adults, she said, Tom was the strength of the family.

"When I had a question that my husband Joel couldn't answer, I'd call or text Tom," she said. "More often than not, he had the answer. We leaned on each other when we needed to, and we always knew that we were there for each other no matter what time of day or night without needing words."

She asked how she and the family would go on without Tom.

"I guess I have to learn that I have my family, my friends, my loved ones and we will continue to go on," Panasiewicz said. "This memory will live on, and all of us will continue to have a memorial of some kind. Or, like I said, his memory will never go away. He was loved by too many for his memory to ever go away."

Sheron noted that Sanfratello dedicated his entire adult life to serving people, first as an EMT who put himself through training, working in Buffalo and Rochester, as a volunteer for the Alexander Fire Department, as a dispatcher in Batavia, before joining the Sheriff's Office in 1992 as a dispatcher.

"You knew, right from the beginning, there's something special about Tommy," Sheron said. "You know, there are individuals when you hire him, you just go, 'This guy is going to go somewhere. Tommy would take on tasks in the communication room that might have been lingering for years. But Tommy's energy, he just got in there and got it done."

Sanfratello collected Hot Wheels and Legos and attended conventions all over the country for collectors.  He loved children and kept a bucket of Hot Wheels in his office to share with children who visited the office, either with department family members or when caught up in some serious situation.

It's no surprise, then, that one of Sanfratello's favorite duties was helping to organize the Christmastime Shop with a Cop at Walmart.

"He loved doing that," Sheron said. "He loved kids. He loved helping people."

Ian, now himself a corrections officer who graduated from the academy top in his class, recalled seeing his dad in action at work and said he was clearly a leader in the Sheriff's Office.

See also: At Darien Lake, 'Tommy had it under control'

"He did try to steer everybody in the right direction," Ian said. "Even if he didn't see eye-to-eye with someone, he would always have their back and trust them with his life."

He said, "Deputies would tell me how he was the glue that held the department together. They don't know what they will do without him.  One way of looking at it, as I have the past couple of days, when he passed away was he was doing what he loved. He loved working overtime."

Ian recalled how they shared love for Buffalo Sabres hockey. He said he will miss their phone calls -- win or lose, they would critique the games, either what the Sabres did right or what they need to improve. 

"It won't be the same any more ," he said, but he hopes someday he will have a son to carry on the family tradition.

Ian closed his remarks: "Godspeed GS-9."

See Also: A full showing of support for Sgt. Sanfratello

• To listen to an MP3 of the Last Call for Sgt. Sanfratello, GS-9, Click Here.
• To view more photos from the service, Click Here