A tribute to a man of the people Timmy Peters.

"Timmy is a special person".

Those were the words stated by Ontario Co. Sheriffs Dept. Lt. Dave Cirencione during an eloquent eulogy delivered at an emotional funeral service Wednesday at St. Stephen's Church in Geneva, NY.  

I'm sure this law enforcement pro is more proud of his title of "close friend of Timmy Peters" than he is of his well deserved title at the Sheriff's Office.

As Lt. Cirencione noted, Timothy J. Peters will always be special to thousands of people who he affected over his 59 years on this planet. It was quite obvious how he impacted so many by just looking at the full church with a standing room only crowd saluting the Peters family and a man who literally would do anything for anyone.

If you were hungry, he fed you. 

If you needed a job, he would hire you, either at Gallagher's Irish Pub in Geneva, or at his catering business.  

If you were a waitress working hard serving others, Timmy would over tip you because you "deserved more".  

If you had a charity event, he would be the first to contribute his hard earned money, and be the first to help you pull it together with his organizational and people skills.

The size of your check or the color of your skin never mattered to Timmy because we were all welcome in his world. 

Need a laugh?  Timmy would make you chuckle with a wry sense of humor.  Need a sip?  Timmy and his business partner Dan Gallagher would make sure you got a drink and a smile at Gallagher's Irish Pub, a home to so many of us that these two brothers-in-arms proudly co-owned in downtown Geneva.  This gathering place and true community treasure will continue to carry Timmy's legacy, albeit with a gaping hole in it's large heart.

Timmy Peters was a wonderful person who probably never realized the impact he exerted over so many people in a small world named Ontario County, NY.  He leaves behind a massive extended family who shared his zest for fun, food, and helping those around us. Nobody did that better than Timmy Peters.

I personally shared a few things in common with Timmy, although I am in no way comparing myself to him.  Pete Kennedy is nowhere near as a good a person as Tim Peters.

I'll miss our shared love of Notre Dame, a sacred place to both of us.  Timmy loved road trips to South Bend, Indiana as much as I did over the years.  Go Irish!  Let's win a bunch this fall for your devoted fan Timmy.

I will truly miss Timmy's surly look when I would enter Gallagher's Pub, as he would sarcastically say "you again?  Didn't we kick your ass outta here last time?"  Yep, and I still kept coming back to Geneva because of Timmy and his beloved "Gags", his best chum Danny Gallagher.  Two truly wonderful buddies who make people happy on a daily basis.

I, along with thousands, will miss his culinary skills.  Whether he was whipping up chow for football parties at the Pub, or on the grill at the Geneva American Legion serving our vets, or Geneva Firefighters, or serving up clams at the Canandaigua Country Club, his food was always guaranteed to satisfy all of our taste buds.  Didn't matter the size of the crowd, from a small family grad party to hundreds at a Fire Dept. fundraiser, every person would walk away happy thanks to Timothy J. Peters.

I will deeply miss him when I marry my sweet love Angela this fall.  Timmy was on the guest list, and I was looking forward to finally repaying his kindness to me over all these years. Sadly, we won't have the chance to show him how important he has been in my life.  That is one regret I will carry with me.

But, he will be in a better place that day.  Timmy has literally worked his way upstairs to a rightful spot in Heaven next to his dad.  Two chums who are looking down on that friendly little Irish pub in Geneva, smiling, knowing that Danny and his team will carry on the torch that was lit so brightly in Timmy's heart.  Sadly, it was extinguished far too early here on Earth, but the smiles and memories Timmy brought us will last forever.

God bless Timmy Peters.  I was so blessed to know him, and share him with thousands.

Like Lt. Cirencione rightly said "Timmy is a special person". 

     


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