A memorial service was held on Sunday afternoon in honor of Hinman Dining Hall cashier Tina Gaetani. Stories about Gaetani were shared by her family, coworkers and students, and almost all of them mentioned her sense of humor and ability to make a person’s day just a little bit brighter.
Gaetani passed away on Nov. 26 at the age of 48 after a long struggle with diabetes. She worked for Sodexo Dining Services at Binghamton University for 19 years, starting in the Old Dickinson Dining Hall, before moving to Hinman College in 2003. Gaetani had taken this semester off because of her health, but had been hoping to return in March.
The service was planned by Gaetani’s co-workers, who publicized the event by hanging up flyers and telling students to attend while they were checking out at the dining hall.
Al Vos, an English professor and faculty master of Hinman College, spoke about the joy Gaetani always brought to work and what the loss meant for the residential community.
“Hinman is a close-knit community,” Vos said. “Sometimes we even talk about the Hinman family. Tina was definitely part of the Hinman family.”
Kristen Deacon, a sophomore majoring in integrative neuroscience, said that she will be deeply missed by the students she served.
“Tina was a staple in Hinman,” Deacon said. “Hinman is a really tight community so when something like this happens, we really care. We care about the workers we see and talk to every day.”
Gaetani’s register often had long lines, as students sought to check out with her in particular.
“I always liked going to her line because she always had some type of witty comment and could just always make you smile,” said Sean Finnegan, a junior majoring in industrial and systems engineering.
Gaetani was known for loudly announcing students’ birthdays to the entire dining hall and always making students who bought a cookie get a glass of milk with it, habits that made her popular among students.
Serena Tesler, a senior double-majoring in biology and philosophy, politics and law, spoke at the service about strong friendships between Gaetani and students.
“I will miss her sense of humor, as hilariously inappropriate as it was,” Tesler said. “I think she enjoyed her job and got along really well with the students.”
March 2017 would have marked Gaetani’s 20th year at the University. Employees that have reached that milestone receive a celebration in their name, in which family and friends come and honor them for their service and dedication. Her brother, Michael Gaetani, pointed out that even though that didn’t happen for his sister, everyone was there now, celebrating her life.