Francesco Tamma 2004–2021

Francesco Jamie Pio Tamma of Southampton died unexpectedly on Thursday, October 21st. He was 17.

He was a bright, kind, beautiful young man.

As a curious and excellent student, he loved European studies, math, the sciences and anything related to the natural world. He was most passionate about architecture, especially the design of cities and their infrastructure.

Francesco loved music and was an accomplished violinist who played for the Metropolitan Youth Orchestra at Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center.

As an explorer, both literally and intellectually, he travelled throughout Europe and especially loved visiting family in Italy, where he practiced his Italian.

While encouraged to play tennis, squash, lacrosse, soccer, basketball and golf, with classic self deprecation, he claimed to be “completely useless at all of them.” His true love was sailing which he excelled at, due to his vice-like grip and rather long arms.

Known for his absurdist sense of humor, Francesco was notorious for the outlandish outfits he wore to school events (picture a full length green body suit). His friends note that everyone would agree that the quintessential Francesco quote was, “Don’t be sad because sad spelled backwards is das…and das not good.”

Francesco always had his own point of view, which made him a wonderful dinner companion. An adult friend reflects that, “You never felt like you were with a kid when you talked to him.”

He loved video games and dogs and could often be found rolling around on the floor with his dog, Mamita.

He also loved his mother, Annamaria’s Pasta In Brodo and enjoyed cooking himself. His brother, Jamie, fondly remembers a Thanksgiving in 2019 when he first learned to carve a turkey and “really got into it.”

Francesco was proud of getting into the one of the most prestigious schools in England. After just under a year, the pandemic started, and he decided to return home to his beloved Stony Brook School.

At Stony Brook, he was loved by friends and teachers alike. On a clear sunny day shortly after his death, the entire senior class gathered on the back field, stood in a circle and released balloons into the sky. Each classmate was asked to write a memory of him on their balloon. The balloons were covered in memories.

While Francesco’s talents and passions can be enumerated by others, who Francesco was is best told in his own words: “Identity is perhaps not something we must fit into but something that unfolds ahead of us. It lies in what we decide to make of ourselves which makes life much more interesting than trying to fit into boxes…”

Francesco will be dearly missed by everyone whose lives he touched.

He is survived by his mothers, Annamaria Tamma and Diana Cochran, as well as his brother Jamie Cochran (and his wife Megan), his niece and god daughter, Georgia Cochran, nephew James Francesco Cochran and his grandmother Stella Cochran.

A memorial service will be held at Saint Ann’s Episcopal Church in Bridgehampton at 2pm, Saturday, December 11th.

If you would like to honor Francesco’s love for the ocean, please make a donation to Ocean Conservancy (https://oceanconservancy.org/donate/honor-memorial-giving/ ) or write a check to Ocean Conservancy, Attn: Ainsley Stewart, 1300 19th Street NW, 8th Floor, Washington, DC 20036 in the name of Francesco Tamma.