Thomas "Tom" Barreca, 61, passed away peacefully on Thursday, May 14, 2026.

Born September 11, 1964, in Syracuse, NY, he was the son of the late Thomas and Katherine Barreca. Tom attended Bishop Grimes High School, where he played on the football team and made lifelong friends. He spent his teenage years working alongside his father, beloved uncles, and cousins at Green Front Market, his family's business, where he developed his steadfast work ethic and deep love of food.

Tom was a proud, perhaps the proudest, alumnus of Cornell University's Class of 1986, graduating from the School of Industrial and Labor Relations (ILR). He went on to earn his Master's in Business Administration from Columbia University. He was driven, curious, and always chasing his next great adventure.

He spent over 25 years as a media executive, rising through the ranks first in advertising at J. Walter Thompson and Ogilvy & Mather, and eventually in television. While employed by Fred/Alan Inc., he worked on the strategy behind several successful TV properties, including Nick@Nite, MTV Europe, and the Kids' Choice Awards, plus the naming and debut of Comedy Central. Tom served as a Vice President at Cartoon Network and Hanna-Barbera in Los Angeles, working closely on the rollout of cartoons such as The Powerpuff Girls and Dexter's Laboratory, as well as legacy properties such as Scooby-Doo and The Flintstones, helping build them into iconic brands. In 1997, he was named to Crain's 40 Under 40 while working at ITT Corporation. After moving back to the East Coast, he served as an Executive Vice President at WWE, spearheading the brand's video-on-demand service, then as Senior Vice President at Martha Stewart Omnimedia, and eventually at NASCAR as Managing Director. In his later years, Tom served first as a consultant and later as a partner for Hank's Beverages, where he found a sense of Italian-American family business akin to his experience at his father's grocery store. He also taught courses on business negotiation at Sacred Heart University.

Tom was a master at making connections and friendships. He stayed in touch with former colleagues for decades and prided himself on mentoring the next generation of people in "the business." His early football days inspired one of his favorite sayings: "Put your hand in the dirt, and do the work." He was dedicated to the causes he cared about, serving on the boards of Lockwood-Mathews Mansion in Norwalk and the ILR Alumni Association at Cornell. When he wasn't working, he was an avid consumer of television, film, and The New York Times. He loved playing the harmonica in his car for all to hear.

His proudest achievement was his marriage to his wife, Eileen, and his two children, Molly and Mac. He was always quick to brag about his kids' accomplishments and was their biggest supporter, whether it was on a sideline or cheering them on in their careers.

Tom was a devoted fan of the Yankees and Giants, and considered himself a diligent member of the Cornell Hockey "Lynah Faithful." He was an ardent supporter of Westport football, first through the PAL youth program and eventually for Staples, where his son played. He also served as a football referee across CT and could regularly be found "calling" games from his seat on the sidelines, even as a fan.

A Westport resident for nearly 30 years, he loved his community. To quote Tom himself, "There are many people in Westport that have character, humility, work ethic, and a team mentality… those are the people with whom I wanted to live. It's a place where I could feel gratified about raising my own kids." Tom was proud beyond words to surround himself and his family with those very people, and he reveled in the village he'd built over his years in town.

He is survived by his wife, Eileen; daughter, Molly Nestor, and her husband, Brian, of New York, NY; and son, Mac, of Brooklyn, NY; as well as his sister, Kathleen Pawlowski, and her husband, Michael, of Manlius, NY; and brother, Anthony Isadore-Barreca, and his wife, Janet, of Sebastopol, CA. He is also survived by countless nephews, nieces, and friends he considered "found family" throughout his life.

The family will receive friends and family on Thursday, May 28th, 2026, from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the Lesko Funeral Home, 1209 Post Rd, Fairfield, CT 06824. To order flowers from a local florist, get travel directions, or sign his online guest register, please visit www.LeskoFuneralHome.com.