Edward R. Tomasso Sr.

Born in Providence, son of the late Rocco and Elvira (Scaramuzzelli) Tomasso. He was the devoted father of Rocco “Rick“ Tomasso and his wife Sherry, Ed Tomasso and his wife Cheryl, Rob Tomasso and his wife Juliet, and the late Chris Tomasso; cherished grandfather of Khaterina; and adored great-grandfather of Kali, Santanah, Bentley, and Kyllei. He was the last surviving brother of the late Louise C. Gabriele, George, David and Anthony Tomasso.

From a very young age Eddie was a self-made man, putting his roots in Federal Hill selling fruit as a teenager on his pushcart and hustling mechanic jobs on the side. He learned how to network from an early age. People always wanted to be near him to hear his stories and plans for the future. “NO” was not in his vocabulary. Everybody knew his name and he learned to open up doors by treating people right. After working for other garages doing auto repair, he decided that it was time to be his own boss. So, in 1970, Eddie Tomasso's Auto Center was created. Through the auto center, Eddie gained the respect and friendship of many, many people. He treated people fairly, recognizing early in his life that your word means something. And that without customers, you have no business. He became a fixture in the community. It seemed that everyone knew him. Doctors, lawyers, police officers, moms and dads, and their friends. Everybody had to get their car fixed. He loved his work and he cared about his employees.

In the early 1980's his doctor told him that the stress of the job was going to give him a heart attack. So, true to form, he expanded his business interests. In 1984 the East Side Laundromat was founded at the corners of Camp St. and Doyle Ave. in Providence. And, Eddie made new friends and his legacy grew. But the laundromats were the start. He started buying real estate and he added a new hat to the stack that he wore. He was now a landlord. With Eddie, one was not enough. After getting one house squared away and occupied, he bought another. And the cycle repeated. It was during this time that Eddie was diagnosed with prostate cancer. He did his treatments and had surgery. Eventually, he was deemed cured. Everything was going well, until in 1991, Eddie wasn't feeling right. When he decided to go to the hospital with chest pains, several of the doctors “competed” to be the one to take care of the man that they all respected. So instead of just sending him home, they decided to keep him overnight for observation. The next morning his doctor came in with several student doctors. And right there in front of all of them, he had his heart attack. Later, Eddie and Ginny were told that if it had happened anywhere else, he would not have survived. It was now that his biggest secret would come out.

He could not properly write out the thank you cards from all of his well-wishers. He couldn't spell and he didn't have the grammar skills he needed. So, he and Ginny searched for someone or someplace that could help him the best. That is how he ended up with Dorcas Place Literacy Center. Through hard work and patience, in just two years, he was at an 11th grade level and helping others in their journey. Eddie became one of the faces for adult literacy in the area. He traveled to Washington D.C. to speak at congressional meetings. He wrote full page articles. He made more friends. One of his favorite stories was that he asked his teacher to help him write out a check so that he could buy a piece of property. He asked her to fill it out because he couldn't write hundred thousand. He would say that the look of surprise on her face was priceless. He was not an underprivileged man, he was a very successful individual.

After he “retired”, Eddie and Ginny traveled, they took in the sights that they always wanted to see. Hawaii, Alaska, California and any other place that tickled their fancy. Eventually, they made their way to Florida. One day, he was out for a drive with his brother David. David was going to buy a car off a gentleman. Eddie ended up buying his mobile home. Then another and another, eventually he had purchased a total of 17 over the years. Eddie and Gin became snowbirds and for the next 25 years, they happily traveled between their lake house and their home in Florida. Eddie was blessed to have his wife Virginia “Ginny” as his partner, his lover, his soul mate with him for 55 years, until her passing in 2020. Together they raised their family of four sons who learned to be independent, strong, self-reliant men who went on to have families of their own, with the exception of Christopher, whose life was taken too soon after a tragic motorcycle accident, that rocked the family in 2003.

In 2020, the prostate cancer showed up once again. This was a fight that had started 40 years before and Eddie was fighting again. Sadly, this time around, the cancer eventually won. Eddie lived his life with no regrets. I have never met a man with so many friends all over the country. Wherever he went, we always heard someone call out to him and got to hear another story about this wonderful man. Whenever the family would gather, he would share stories from the memory banks and entertain us all. Most stories involved a “hand shake” and how well you treat others will come back to you. He served proudly in the Military and is an example of how to succeed in life from humble beginnings. He was a world traveler who enjoyed life to the fullest, and a self-taught accomplished Jack of all trades, as you could always do it better and cheaper by yourself.

Thank you for being an example to look up to. Rest in Peace.

Visitation will be held on Tuesday, April 29, 2025 from 4:00-7:00 PM in the PONTARELLI-MARINO FUNERAL HOME, 971 Branch Avenue, Providence. Relatives and friends are invited to attend a Mass of Christian Burial on Wednesday, April 30, 2025 at 10:00 AM in Saint Philip Church, 622 Putnam Pike, Greenville. Burial will be private.