Tom Valentino funeral: Teen mourned at St Kieran’s Church, Manly Vale
More than 2000 people — including NRL stars — have attended the funeral for a northern beaches teen who died following a battle with cancer. The ‘dignified young man’ has been remembered as having ‘an abundance of love’ as emotional tributes were read out.
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More than 2000 people farewelled a “fun, zesty, confident” teenager who “could light up the world, and the lives of everyone he came into contact with” at a moving service on Sydney’s northern beaches.
Football royalty — including Tom and Jake Trbojevic, Matty Johns, Brad Fittler and Greg Alexander — rubbed shoulders with the devastated schoolyard friends of Tom Valentino, 16, who lost his battle with cancer on February 18.
Tom, who was described as having a buoyant personality, went to St Augustine’s College in Brookvale.
Even at his young age Tom had the ability to touch the lives of many and rap band Hooligan Hefs paid tribute to him at the Good Life music festival at Sydney Showground on Saturday.
At the festival the band all donned T-shirts with his photo and the words ‘Long Live Tommy’.
The popular youngster was diagnosed with terminal stomach cancer 10 months ago, after complaining of a pain in his back.
His brothers — James, 20, David, 19, and Jack, 17 — along with five of Tom’s closest friends, carried his coffin into St Kieran’s Catholic Church in Manly Vale.
Hundreds stood at the back of the church and in the doorways, while a screen was also set up in the hall. Others stood outside in the car park or near the church’s open windows to listen to the ceremony.
Fox Sports presenter and former rugby league star Matty Johns, a long-time friend of the Ingleside family, delivered a powerful eulogy on behalf of Tom’s parents Rita and John, and his brothers.
“Tommy had an abundance of love, he was surrounded by it,” he said.
He spoke of Tom’s love of sport including cricket, soccer, rugby league and basketball, where he displayed a competitiveness and toughness.
Mr Johns said Tom’s mum always felt he belonged on the stage.
He said from a young age he would sing for her and knew all the words to Abba’s ‘Thank you for the Music’ from start to finish.
Brian Burke, a house leader at St Augustine’s College, also read an eulogy and said Tom had a positive attitude to life, describing him as “fun, zesty, confident, cocky, a hooligan and a menace, brave and courageous”.
He said he had the “ability to light up a room, he could light up a class, a hall, a party, a camp”.
“Basically, Tom Valentino could light up the world, and the lives of everyone he came into contact with.”
Mr Burke said Tom “was the mate we all want to have”.
More than 300 of his schoolmates were at the funeral and formed a guard of honour for their friend as the funeral procession left the church.
Speaking on the eve of the funeral, Mrs Valentino said her son was known as ‘Little Tommy’ to his family and friends.
“His heart will live on in mine forever,” she said.
“Everyone is devastated and wants to know what they can do.
“My reply is always the same. I just want him back.
“He showed love and happiness and made people laugh — never a sad face or a mean word spoken. He fought so hard.”
Tom was diagnosed with gastric adenocarcinoma — which is extremely rare in young people. It had originated in his stomach and spread to his spine.
Gruelling rounds of radiation and chemotherapy followed, and by some miracle, Tom was in remission by October 24.
It was great cause for celebration, but it was short-lived.
On Christmas Eve last year, Tom and his parents were called in to get the results of recent tests and were told the cancer had spread — this time to his liver.
“We were told he had a couple of months,” Mrs Valentino said.
“I was crying, he was crying, we were all crying and I sat him down and asked him if he wanted to tell his brothers when we got home.
“He was adamant — he wanted to have a Christmas to remember and he wanted his brothers to be able to celebrate. He carried that awful news with him for days, he even went to the Boxing Day sales.
“What a kid — he never complained and remained stoic until after Christmas when we sat the boys down to tell them.
“To only stay in remission for two months was gut wrenching.
“He didn’t stop though — he made every moment count. He just never let his head take him to that dark place. He was such a dignified young man.”
Throughout his illness, he continued to live his life in hope for a future — he attended his Year 10 formal, and when he turned 16 on December 19, he obtained his learners’ permit to drive.
Mrs Valentino and her family have been overwhelmed by the outpouring of grief and love from everyone who knew Tom, and even people who didn’t.
“I know he was loved, and he gave just as much love in his own life,” she said. “He leaves a big mark on this world, and a clear message.
“Live life, love your kids every day and tell them you love them every day.”
THE BOY WHO TOUCHED MANY
If the sheer number of people who turned out at Tom Valentino’s funeral service today was anything to go by, this 16-year-old touched many people in his short life.
Football royalty rubbed shoulders with schoolboys and broken hearted family members, who were joined by friends and community members who were forced to spill out into the church hall and even the car park.
Others chose to say goodbye in their own way, like popular young Australian rapper Hooligan Hefs, who visited Tom twice this year — once in hospital and the other at Tom’s Ingleside home just a few days before he died.
The band was a headline act at the Good Life music festival at Sydney Showground on Saturday. The rapper and his band donned T-shirts with a photo of the 16-year-old and the words “Long Live Tommy”.
“Hooligan Hefs dedicated his show to Tommy and called on the crowd to RIP Tommy,” Mrs Valentino said.
“Meeting Hooligan Hefs was a big deal for Tommy — he was his idol.”