Age 84, of South Fayette Twp., on June 9, 2025. Beloved husband of Sue Carmassi; father of Kimberly (Paul) Fangmeyer and Michelle (Patrick) Carmassi Flynn; grandfather of Calleigh Fangmeyer, Caitlyn (Garrett) Goewey, Hailey Fangmeyer, Grayson Fangmeyer, and Isabella Flynn and great grandfather of Asher Goewey; loving brother of Dale (Barbara) Carmassi . Family and friends are invited to a committal service with military honors at the National Cemetery of the Alleghenies on Wednesday June 18th at 10:30 AM. Please meet at the cemetery at 10:15 AM. Arrangements entrusted to the Warchol Funeral Home Inc.

A few words from Tino

This story is being told by the Veteran in their own words.

No facts were confirmed or discounted.

I grew up in Mt. Washington in Pittsburgh. I am the oldest and favorite grandson of my Italian grandmother. I was also a mischievous boy. I attended St. Justin grade school. Sister Augustine, my sixth-grade teacher, once beat me across my knuckles with a ruler. I still remember it to this day exactly as it happened. It's something you never forget. I attended the University of Pittsburgh for a semester and two years at Waynesburg College before I flunked out. I was a poor student, but I was a fun guy. I enjoyed college life! I was always having fun and making people laugh. The studying was not a priority at the time, but as you mature and time goes by, that changes. I'm a fantastic student now!

I ended up joining the PA Air National Guard and did boot camp at Lackland AFB and Shepard AFB where I got my training as an air traffic specialist. I eventually relocated to Washington DC and transferred to the 113th Combat Support Squadron. During that time, I moved in with a good friend and through him, I met my wife and got married.

In January of 1968, I received a phone call to report to Andrews AFB. Our guard unit had been activated because of the Pueblo crisis in conjunction with the Vietnam War.

I was an Airman First Class when I went into the US Air Force. I was assigned to the 113th combat support squadron, which merged with the 121 st tactical fighter wing. As part of air traffic scheduling, I coordinated and worked with combat-ready F-86 and F-100 fighter pilots. We were also a Reserve Training Unit for Air Force pilots. We weren't initially deployed and stayed on Andrews AFB. But as time went on, the unit was divided up. Some people were sent to Vietnam, while others like me stayed stateside.

I was reassigned to the 1001st ST Composite Wing after the 113th and 121st was divided and deployed. I did crew-scheduling, coordinating and crewing aircrafts for pilots at Andrews AFB for pilots at the Pentagon who needed to maintain their status . Every so often, it would be my turn to be on call to "carry the bag", which contained the schedules, responsibilities, and activities of all the pilots and aircrafts. That means I would be the one they would call if there were changes overnight. I would have to immediately address the situation and/ or fulfill the request on the following day's schedule.

Before activation, I had been working at Motorola. The complete transition from civilian to military life and all the frequent reassignments left me with a bad attitude. My mentor, Lieutenant Colonel Lou Biggie, turned that around for me. He was in command of air scheduling operations at Andrews AFB. He took me under his wing and made me aware that I had a commitment and responsibility to my country because that was what I signed up for. There wasn't a reason to have a bad attitude - if I choose to have a positive attitude and do my job, things will go just fine. Because of him, the military did turn out to be a good thing for me. I spent almost 7 years in the military on a full-time and part-time basis. It was a good ride.

I still look back to the day I got activated and think, boy, how would life have been different if I never got activated? But you can't live in the "ifs" in life because it's not realistic. These kinds of things may go through your mind. But you pick up the pieces and go forward the best you can. I don't dwell on the past. I remember the good and the difficult times because I experienced all that!

After the military, I returned to work in the wireless communications industry as an account executive at Motorola. I dealt with federal and state government and local agencies. I worked with the FBI, CIA, and Secret Service. Occasionally on Monday mornings, I would motivate my sales group. I would line the guys up with my burgundy and gold pom poms from my Washington Redskins tailgates and say, "we're going to a have a cheer!" We would march three steps to the left, three steps to the right, going forwards, but never backwards. This was our Monday morning motivation to get to work!

I am a motivator with a strong mindset and a positive attitude. I try to generate laughter, humor, and productivity in my daily activities. Aches and pains are downers. I believe if you are motivated and don't dwell on the negatives, you will be optimistic, upbeat, and have fun with whatever you're doing!

Everything turned out ok. Life is good, no doubt about it. I am 80 years old. I

have my limitations. I can't run the court or shoot the ball, but I don't dwell on that. I'm mentally stable, but physically slow. I use a battery-operated scooter supplied by the VA and I am good trouble! I enjoy life. I grill and cook frequently. I enjoy taking photos and following sports. Most of all, I enjoy entertaining, socializing, and staying in touch with friends. Everything turned out great for me. I had a good job, two daughters, five grandchildren and one great grandson that I'm incredibly proud of. I like to dress nice and look good. I feel fantastic when I dress well! I don't have huge money and I am an average guy. But I always treat people with respect, care, and concern. My wife was dynamite, a very special lady who made friends very easily. I don't know why she put up with me for 42 years, because I was a real challenge. But I always treated her with respect. She was a very genuine and down-to-earth person, and everyone loved her. She passed too young at the age of 64 from lung cancer. We had a good ride. I picked up the pieces and moved on, which you have to do. Don't dwell on death and set your own standards. There is no book written on it and you must do what makes sense to you.

Life is a train ride. You go from point A to point B. The ride doesn't stop until you pass away. But along that ride, things happen. You have kids, you get married. There are a lot of things you encounter that you weren't aware of or prepared for. All of the sudden, you have to re-adjust and adapt. Every stop along the way, you face adversity and life lessons. Life isn't a perfect field. You can't live in the past. You must face whatever you encounter. It has been said life is 10% of what happens to you and 90% of how you react to it. We are in charge of our attitudes. So stay healthy, have fun, and maintain a positive attitude!