(WNY News Now) – Jamestown, NY – Tom D’Angelo, a multi-talented sports enthusiast, leaves a lasting legacy in Chautauqua County, earning a spot in the 2024 Chautauqua Sports Hall of Fame.
Tom D’Angelo was a man of many talents who worked tirelessly in the sports scene in Chautauqua
County for over four decades. From bowling, to officiating, to coaching and to spectating, the 2024
Chautauqua Sports Hall of Fame inductee left an indelible imprint on every organization and every
person that came into Tom’s sphere of influence.
D’Angelo was born 1943 and was a graduate of Jamestown High School and Jamestown Community
College.
He fell in love with bowling as a teen and was involved in the sport in a variety of capacities over the
next 35 years. He was a classic-level bowler for three decades. He served as team captain and league
president. He participated in 10 state tournaments and 15 American Bowling Congress tournaments.
He provided the Jamestown Area Bowling Association with effective leadership for 20 years as lane
representative, board director and board president. He was the recipient of the JABA Outstanding
Service Award in 2001 and was inducted into the JABA Hall of Fame in 2003.
Tom was a noted sports official in three sports. He worked as a football referee for 13 years. In addition
he served on various football officials’ committees and officiated at numerous playoff games. Former
Jamestown High School football coach and CSHOF inductee Wally Huckno called Tom, “a complete
professional who was able to relate to the athletes and gain their respect.”
D’Angelo was a baseball umpire for 27 years and a softball umpire for 32 years. He served as president
and board member of both umpire organizations. He umpired American Softball Association National
Championships in 1984 (Garland, Texas) and in 1986 (Albany, Georgia). Noted umpire and CSHOF
inductee Larry Rodgers stated, “Tom was a ‘take charge’ kind of official and a gentleman on the field.
He had great rapport with coaches, players, spectators and fellow umpires. He was cool under pressure
and had a wonderful personality. It was evident that Tom had a love for the game and I enjoyed
working with him.”
D’Angelo was inducted into the Chautauqua County Umpires Hall of Fame in 1987.
Tom also coached Little League and Babe Ruth Baseball for 12 years and was very active in the Italian-
American Charity Golf Tournament.
What made all of these accomplishments even more noteworthy is that Tom did them despite being
diagnosed with stage three Hodgkin’s disease in 1970 at the age of 27. He endured four months of
radiation treatments followed by chemotherapy. He had his spleen removed and lost 44 pounds. But
two years after the initial diagnosis, Tom was back officiating and bowling.
In the mid 2000s D’Angelo was dealt another health setback – Parkinson’s disease. Despite the
physical limitations imposed by Parkinson’s, he continued to attend and support the women’s
basketball team at his alma mater, JCC. When he became too sick to attend games in person, he
faithfully called JCC coach Keith Martin to offer encouragement to the team. Upon Tom’s passing in
January of 2007, Martin and assistant coach Jim Rissel established the Jamestown Community
College’s Tom D’Angelo Memorial Lady Jayhawk Classic Basketball Tournament and Tom D’Angelo
Spirit Award.
A former salesman at his family’s shoe store, Arcade Shoes, and later an insurance agent at the Pfeffer
Agency, Tom D’Angelo is interred at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery in Jamestown.
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