Obituary of Santina "Tina" Gannon

Our mom, Santina “Tina” Gannon, began her journey to heaven on June 12, 2026. Though she is no longer with us, her strength, kindness, and unwavering devotion to our dad remain a guiding light for our family each and every day. Born to Dominic and Santa Cogliandro in Syracuse, New York, Tina was a proud first-generation Italian American and the youngest of six children. Raised in a primarily Italian-speaking household, Tina’s childhood was deeply rooted in the traditions of her parents' hometown in Reggio Calabria, Italy. Yet, being the baby of the family, she may or may not have been seen as a bit of a rebel. After completing her education, Tina began her career with General Electric. She met the love of her life, Joseph, while spending a weekend in the Adirondacks with her girlfriends. When he asked for her phone number, she obliged, writing it with an eyebrow pencil on the back of a prayer card. An entire year passed before Joe finally mustered the courage to ask her out during a visit to Syracuse. That call marked the beginning of their love story. They married and settled permanently in South Buffalo, where Tina embraced the community, as well as the Bills and Sabres, as her own. Tina continued her career as an executive secretary with GE in Buffalo before taking on what she often considered her most challenging and rewarding role: stay-at-home mom to five children – Grace Marie, Patrick, Kathleen, Christina, and Joseph. Our mom was a volunteer and served on boards at the church and schools, and was the fun mom on field trips. Her donated desserts, especially her chocolate chip swirl cookies, were legendary at bake sales. After a 14-year hiatus from the workforce, she began a second career as a clerk for Erie County, where she spent the next 20 years supporting programs and services that improved the lives of children and families. Through her role, she modeled empathy, purpose-driven work, and the belief that it is never too late to begin again. In retirement, Tina and Joe continued to cherish their life together, spending treasured time with family and friends and taking car trips wherever the wind blew that day. Tina cared tirelessly for Joe throughout his health challenges, reflecting the deep love and commitment that defined their marriage. They shared 60 wonderful years together before Joe's passing in 2023. Despite facing challenges of her own in recent years, Tina remained warm, gracious, and joyful. She delighted in spending time with her children and 13 grandchildren: Bridget, Sean, Brendan, Ryan, Megan, Kayla, Claire, Maggie, Maeve, Erin, Kate, Reese, and Knox. The family extends its heartfelt gratitude to Tina’s caregivers, Kathy, Tracie, and Sandy, whose compassion made them a cherished extension of Tina's loving family. We also want to thank the staff at Buffalo Hospice, whose kind care of Tina and our family made the challenging final weeks of her life as painless as possible. Passed away June 12, 2026, beloved wife of late Joseph T. Gannon Jr., dear mother of Grace Marie Gannon, Patrick (Patti) Gannon, Kathleen (Robert) Luparello, Christina (Jamie) Quinn and Joseph (Amy) Gannon, loving grandmother of Bridget, Sean (Ally), Brendan, Ryan, Megan, Kayla, Claire, Maeve, Erin, Maggie, Kate, Reese and Knox, daughter of the late Dominic and Santa (Giordano) Cogliandro, sister of Angela (late Joseph) Mirizio and the late Mary Cogliandro, late Francis (Mary Ann) Cogliandro, late Vincent (late Susan) Cogliandro and late Grace (late Stephen) Oliva. Sister-in-law of Josephine Oliva, also survived by many nieces and nephews. Family and friends may call on Tuesday June 16th from 4:00 - 8:00 pm at the JAMES W. CANNAN FUNERAL HOME INC. 3155 Orchard Park Road in Orchard Park. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held Wednesday at 9:30 am at Our Lady of Charity Parish (Holy Family Worship Site). Please assemble at church. The entombment will follow the mass at Holy Cross Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, please send a donation to Hospice of Buffalo, 225 Como Park Blvd., Cheektowaga, NY 14225.