Thomas Gaines Conley, passed away peacefully surrounded by family on January 1, 2020. Tom was born in Sherburne, NY the third child of Archie and Katherine Conley. He is preceded in death by his two sisters Mary Jane Conley Dixon and Ann Smith.
Tom attended Sherburne High School, Manlius Military Academy, and University of Miami, Miami, FL.
He began working in the horseracing industry in 1953 and worked for many years at Vernon Downs and Pompano Raceway in Florida. After he moved to North Carolina in the early 1990s he worked regionally for the Collinite Wax Corporation of Utica, New York.
Tom was a lifelong Catholic and belonged to Catholic parishes in his hometowns and was a lifelong member of the Knights of Columbus. A funeral for the immediate family was held on January 3, 2020 at Saint Raphael the Archangel Catholic Church, Raleigh, North Carolina. A celebration of life is being planned for summer 2020 in Verona Beach, New York.
He is survived by his 5 children Katherine (Bob Johnson) Tim (Barb), Tom (Shana), Brian (Wendy) and Michael (Laura) and 8 grandchildren Bradley, Ian, Patrick, Alyssa, Thomas Johnson, Sonya, Leila and Beau.
In lieu of flowers memorials may be made to the Ronald McDonald House Charity (RMHC).
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