Anthony Squeglia

Anthony Squeglia, 93, of Tribes Hill, passed away peacefully finishing his life’s race on February 14, 2025 at home. Anthony, called Tony, Pa, Squeeks, and “Hey”, was a kind, handsome, gentle, and decent soul known for his welcoming handshake, captivating storytelling, and one-liners that brought a smile to all. Born on March 20, 1931 in Amsterdam, NY, to Agostino and Rose (Baia) Squeglia, his legacy was defined by his reserved yet calming presence. He was a positive, steady influence on his family and friends, reassuring them that everything would always work out for the best. He embodied goodness and humility, never boasted, and was always there to lend a hand, shoulder, or ear to anyone. His high school senior picture said it well, “I’d rather play a small role than be a big standout.”

His love of his life Barbara, who passed away in May 2024, was an inspiration for what true love and companionship meant. Married in 1960, they were by each other’s sides for 63 remarkable years. He missed her dearly, and while he longingly wanted to be with her again, he did it the only romantic way he knew how, by joining her for their first date in heaven on Valentine’s Day to mark a poignant reunion with his beloved. Together, they now have the best seat in the house. Anthony also gave his family the most wonderful gift, that of time. For the past nine months, he was the rock for his family. Fitting of his character, he chose to leave this world gracefully, departing quietly and without fanfare out life’s back door.

Anthony graduated from Wilbur Lynch School in Amsterdam in 1949, playing basketball at Amsterdam High, and later for local clubs including St. John’s, St. Angelo’s, Russo’s, and American Lithuanian. He prioritized family over personal ambitions, choosing a welding career with his family over the opportunity to go to college and play basketball at St. Francis. He worked with his Dad and brothers in their South Side Welding shop on Amsterdam’s South Side, and on projects constructing New York skyscrapers. One of his best memories he shared was welding the approach ramps to the Verrazano Bridge, which represents the glorious start to the New York City Marathon. In a way, Anthony has helped millions of runners start their inspiring personal journeys. The bulk of his career was then spent at General Electric in Schenectady welding turbine engines until he retired after 26 years in 1993. 

Anthony appreciated the simple joys in life and never needed more beyond his means. He was an avid fan of music, especially Frank Sinatra’s “My Way”. We appreciate however that “his way” was always about others. His greatest fulfillment was his family, wherever they were. He loved his time in his garden with his son Anthony, his pool, and mowing his acre of land right up until this past summer. His dreams were his kids’ dreams. He found joy as a youth coach, with his favorite teaching basketball and running practices without a ball and focusing on defense, bounce passes, and dribbling around folding chairs. Through that, he reminded his players and everyone as his life continued that the basics always mattered to improving in life. 

He enjoyed family gatherings and cooking up delicious meals, and his legendary sausage bread, pasta fagioli, pepper biscuits (and hiding the recipe so it could not be found), stuffed artichokes, and Sunday sauce were always huge hits. You could always count on him to sport a full-zip sweater and his favorite wool cap with class, style, and dignity. The simplest things in life mattered to him, especially a roast beef sandwich, fries with gravy, and a draft beer at Russo’s Bar and Grill with Barbara. He looked at everything as gold, even a bottle of jug red wine that he would say was far better than any expensive California vineyard could produce. 

He loved a 9-hole round of golf, played in local bocce, darts, and bowling leagues, tackled crosswords and jigsaw puzzles, sketched portraits including one of Barbara in her early nursing days, and did Wordle every morning with Barbara over coffee. He was a fixer of things for his kids as they moved into new apartments, and learned to change his own brakes, tires, and oil on the family cars because to him it was a smart thing to know how to do. He listened to the Swap Shop on AM radio every Saturday long before Amazon and Facebook Marketplace came along. He taught us what loyalty and unconditional happiness and love meant through his many pets, especially collies Nemo and Bo, and then Max, his cat who slept by his feet at night.

You could always be sure as you entered his home to find Anthony in his favorite chair on his iPad, perusing through the internet and taking pictures of the back yard and the red cardinals that visited often. He loved his chats with Jackie, Rosanne, Anthony Paul, Richard, Jay, Mike, and Jeanne, in-laws, neighbors, relatives, and grandkids. He enjoyed following games, the weather, and horse races on television, and over the past few years loved watching his grandkids via live stream in Mountain Lakes, NJ play their high school soccer, basketball and lacrosse games. His proud presence was felt at kids’ sports, graduations, and sacramental ceremonies. 

Tony had a knack for humor and wisdom, with sayings like, "You're not an athlete if you don’t have butterflies” and “Watch your speed coming through Amsterdam.” He loved betting the gray and #7 horses and those with the tied tail, playing the daily numbers and scratch offs, watching his Yankees, taking long road trips disguised as shortcuts, and being an innovator by starting and sharing the Peace wave at church long before it became a thing. He enjoyed his daily visits to the post office, trips to “The Spring” to get water, and healed all his kids' wounds with his magical bottle of black salve ointment. His only gripe in life as a wanna-be general manager was trying to understand why major league baseball pitchers could only go 5 innings deep into a game.

Nothing was better than Hampton and Salisbury Beach family vacations. He later got to love Long Beach Island, and trips to Saratoga, New Jersey, New York City, Boston, Cape Cod, Chicago, Lake Winnipesaukee, Hilton Head, Washington DC, Holy Cross, Florida, and the Bahamas. Through the power of technology which he adopted well, he and Barbara got to virtually travel the world and see his kids’ and grandkids’ adventures at The University of Wisconsin, Fairfield University, Milan, Barcelona, London, and Rome.

He gave of his time through volunteer work at the Amsterdam Memorial Golf outings and in the kitchen at the annual Sacred Heart Church Carnival. Anthony was a longtime dedicated parishioner of St. Stanislaus Church. He loved celebrating Mass from the back row, though sitting far from the altar did not fully do justice to how truly connected and close he was to God.

Anthony was predeceased by his wife Barbara, and his brothers Auggie and Pat. He is survived by his children, Jacalyn Squeglia (Jay) of Guilderland, NY, Rosanne Wavres (Michael) of Amsterdam, NY, Anthony Paul Squeglia of Tribes Hill, NY, and Richard Squeglia (Jeanne) of Mountain Lakes, NJ; so many beautiful and loving grandchildren, relatives, neighbors, and countless lifelong friends.

A Memorial Mass will be at a later date and time to be announced.