Thomas M Foti

Thomas M. Foti, M.D., 74, December 11, 1945 – August 17, 2020 Thomas M. Foti, M.D., 74, loving husband of Pam Foti, devoted father of Dawn (Foti) Levinson (Andy), adoring grandfather of Bradley (13) and Shawn (11) passed away peacefully on Monday, August 17, 2020, after living with a long-term illness. My dad was a doctor through and through. Being a physician was a passionate part of his identity. He loved medicine, and he loved helping people. There wasn’t a person he wouldn’t help or treat, even stitching up a little kid who cut his head open on somebody’s glass living room table while we were at the beach on vacation. My mom called him ‘Johnny on the spot,’ always there to help people. He immigrated to America from Hungary in 1956 when he was 11 with his parents and younger brother, George. Growing up in Queens, New York, my dad was an avid snow skier with his brother, and was a speed skater. He also loved to water ski and have intense ping pong matches with his dad and brother. My uncle said, “People loved him; he just connected with everyone.” He was smart, handsome, ambitious, competitive, he loved to dance and dressed smart. My parents were set up on a blind date in 1972 in Maryland and were married a year later. My dad’s medical training (in surgery, ENT, heart, lung and blood) took our little family to East Meadow, New York, Potomac, Maryland, Kansas City, Missouri, and settling in south Florida, where he opened a successful private family practice. My dad was one of those guys who always made you laugh. He taught me how to write well – and edit with a red pen; he taught me how to ask questions and assert myself; he taught me how to be organized and efficient in my work (yes, I was the only 10-year old kid with her own mini, white metal filing cabinet- thanks Dad!) Our family has had ups and downs, as all families do. Mom says, “Life with your father was never dull!” In the last 11 years he lived with the repercussions of a stroke and Parkinson’s, and had struggles with his mental health. But through it all, I always knew he loved and was proud of me, loved and deeply appreciated my mom, and loved and adored my husband and our kids. As he can finally rest in peace, we know his love will be with us always. Donations in Thomas Foti's memory can be made to Mental Health America, the nation’s leading community-based nonprofit dedicated to addressing the needs of those living with mental illness and promoting the overall mental health of all. Dr. Foti's family is committed to the mental health and well being of all. May the memory of Thomas Foti bring comfort and blessings to his loving family. May his soul rest in the bonds of eternal life.