LEOMINSTER- David M. Tata, 51, of Leominster passed away January 18th, 2022 suddenly but peacefully in his home after battling multiple sclerosis for many years. While fighting this disabling disease, Dave never lost his optimistic attitude or his strong will to fight. His family finds great comfort in knowing that he is finally resting in peace as he continues to do what he loved, creating art by painting the skies from above.
Dave was born in Leominster, on January 31, 1970, and was the eldest son of A. Vincent Tata and Cynthia A. (Caffoni) Tata. He graduated from Leominster High School in 1989 and UMass Dartmouth with a degree in Illustration in 1994.
Dave’s sudden and unexpected passing has left a void in our hearts that will never be filled in this lifetime. Besides his parents, he also leaves behind his daughter Autumn E. Tata and son Dominic M. Tata of Leominster; his former wife Ann (Boucher) Tata of Leominster; his brother Peter J. Tata and his wife Deana along with his nieces Olivia and Gianna of Shrewsbury; his aunt Mary and her husband Don Carter of Athol and his cousin Andrew Garneau; his uncle John Tata of New Hampshire and his cousins Ashley of New York and Warren of New Hampshire; and his cousins Cori and Matthew Caffoni of Cape Cod, and aunt Emily DuPoint of Gardner and cousin Lynn Robichaud Zappa of Westminster.
He is predeceased by his grandparents Antonio J. and Francis (Ciccolini) Tata and Fernando T. and Gilda E. (DiRusso) Caffoni; his uncle Rodrigo and aunt Lisa Caffoni; and his cousins Nick and Jason Garneau.
Dave or “Pops Tata'' as people in the animation world knew him by, is widely remembered for his amazing artistic ability. Over the years he worked on numerous projects. He worked as an artist for Marvel Comics, at Soup2Nuts as an animator on the cartoon series Home Movies and Word Girl, as a trading card artist at Cryptozoic, as a contributor to other comic series, and worked on many other private commission pieces. He had a true passion for Marvel and DC comics, as well as his love for the Star Wars franchise. Most of his work was tailored to their styles and characters. He is also remembered for his drawings of Captain America in which he superimposed his art onto real life military photographs for the New Hampshire Chaplain Emergency Relief Fund. This non-profit organization provided direct financial relief to many NH military families. Now these very special pieces are proudly displayed in many homes. Most recently he had been uploading his designs onto several websites where people could choose the medium they wanted his designs on and get it shipped right to their door. One of his most recent greatest accomplishments as an artist and as a Star Wars fanatic, was having Samuel L. Jackson become one of his biggest customers purchasing not just one, but several of the t-shirt designs he created.
Dave needed to make a career switch years ago to barbering but always maintained his artistic roots by doing animation jobs on the side. He had a very devoted clientele at The Pitstop Barbershop in Ayer. Over the 8 years he worked there Juan Fergusin, Walter Morales, David Conner, and Lenny Scazukllie soon became Dave’s second family. Even while cutting hair, Dave found ways to use his artistic talent. He was known at the shop for the detailed designs he would shave into the backs of his customers' heads. Whether it was on paper, his iPad, or hair, Dave was always letting his artistic talent shine through.
Dave was a fiercely proud father. He went above and beyond to make sure his two children felt loved and cared for. They spent their time bonding over music, sports, Marvel and DC movies, and many more things. Although his time on this Earth was cut short, his children’s memories of their father will last a lifetime. It is because of him that they are mini superhero nerds, very talented in art, huge New England sports fans, and kind hearted responsible young adults. They encapsulate all of their dad’s best qualities. His children were his entire world and will continue to be as he watches them go through life loving them from above.
Dave was never one to complain about life or his struggles with MS. Instead he put a smile on every day, worked hard, and was always concerned about others. He was the definition of a selfless man. Dave’s one wish was to have his body donated to science for MS research and that wish has been executed. Even in death, Dave is still helping others. Everyone who met him would say it was an honor and a privilege to go through life alongside him. He truly was a real-life modern-day superhero,stronger than all of his Marvel and DC comic book drawings combined. Life will not be the same without Dave, but those who knew him and loved him will forever honor him in their thoughts.
As he would text his children every single morning, “Confidence and kick some bootie!” and that is exactly how he would want us to live.
Until the next life, Excelsior!
The family has chosen to host a celebration of life that will be held on April 2nd at the Eagles Hall in Leominster from 6:00pm to midnight. All are welcome.
The funeral is still in the planning stages and will also be in April. The date, time, and place will be announced shortly.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to help with funeral costs https://gofund.me/08b68045or to the nationalmssociety.org.
