Ed. Note: Douglaston Patch would like to pause for a moment of silence and extend our sincerest condolences to the family of Thomas Agnelli, a 57 year old man, formerly of Douglaston, who recently passed away. To show our respects, Patch has offered to run the following obituary for Thomas, which was written by his older sister Lauren Agnelli. Patch would also like to share the eulogy that she read at Thomas Agnelli's funeral as well as a few works of his poetry.
Last week, Thomas Agnelli, a 57-year-old man who grew up in Douglaston, was found dead in his Woodhaven, NY, apartment., where he lived alone as part of the Venture House outpatient program, which gives dignity and autonomy to people with mental health issues.
Agnelli is survived by two sisters and one brother: Lauren Agnelli of Chester, Connecticut, Carrie McKenna of Old Bethpage, New York, and Mark Agnelli of Fort Worth, Florida.
Thomas Agnelli is also survived by five nieces and two nephews—Samantha, Emma Rose, Hannah, Olivia, Georgia, Charlie and Brandon.
In a Eulogy about her brother, Lauren Agnelli wrote:
"Our brother, Tom – or Tommy – had a thing for being understood. He was a talented guy, with words and music, being the product of a writer, Bernard Agnelli, and a musician, Barbara. But he also struggled his whole life with chemical imbalances that resulted in Schizo-Affective Disorder. He craved love, then pushed it away. He couldn’t help himself.
At any rate, because or in spite of this, Tom had a burning desire to be UNDERSTOOD.
Just after our mother, Barbara, passed away in 1997, we noticed Tommy started writing poetry. In addition to jamming on the electric guitar (playing the blues and rock), this new verbal form of expression, poetry, was planted in Tom and just blossomed.
More than anything, these poems are so expressive, so eloquent, so revealing. (AND they’re compact – like all good poetry.) Our brother was a multifaceted talent in so many ways and as changeable as a summer’s day: sunny, suddenly cloudy, chance of showers, frequent thunderstorms, then sunny again.
Tom’s faith is his God was touching and complete."
