Vale, Dominus Tafe!
WAYLAND - David Michael Tafe, Sr., age 82, died peacefully on November 21, 2024 after a brief illness. Most recently a resident of Wayland, MA, David spent most of his life in Westchester, NY.
Born on October 5, 1942 to Henry and Anna Tafe, David grew up in Dorchester and attended Boston Latin School where he excelled in Classics as a celebrated declaimer. David carried his passion for ancient literature and culture with him as an undergraduate at his beloved Dartmouth College. A natural educator, David decided to attend Harvard University where he received his Master of Arts in teaching. His very first teaching position was in Wayland, MA, the town to which he had recently returned.
During the Vietnam Era, David was a member of the Army Reserve and served in civil affairs specializing in Arts, Monuments, and Archives, the successor to the efforts of the Monuments Men in WWII.
In 1973, David moved to New York to accept a position teaching Latin and Greek at Rye Country Day School (RCDS). Lovingly referred to as “Dominus” by his students, David inspired many budding classicists with his passion for language, his knowledge of antiquity, and his signature humor. He especially enjoyed traveling with students, leading them on tours of Italy, Greece, and even Egypt. David also engendered an enthusiasm for the ancient world in his own children, with son Michael majoring in classics at Harvard and daughter Jennifer achieving a PhD in Ancient Art at Boston University. While at Rye, David co-authored the first American version of “Ecce Romani”, a Latin textbook still in use today. He retired from RCDS in 2013 as Head of the Classics Department and a beloved member of the faculty.
Moving to New York required David to switch allegiances from the Red Sox to the Yankees (much to the Tafe family’s dismay). He took his son Michael to the Bronx on Sundays for every home game, and the tradition continued even after his car battery was stolen.
David’s love of music and theatre was evident throughout his life. He performed in every student-faculty musical at RCDS and became known for his roles in productions like “Bye, Bye, Birdie”, “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum”, “Pirates of Penzance”, and countless others. The annual festival chorus, comprised of students, faculty, and parents, highlighted David’s beautiful tenor voice, and he could always be found in the front row. Performing Mozart’s Requiem with his daughter Jennifer was a particularly special experience. Outside of RCDS, he was a member of the Greenwich Choral Society for many years.
David loved opera, whether listening to the live broadcasts on Saturday afternoons or attending performances live at the Metropolitan Opera in New York. Off-season, he and his family enjoyed traveling to Tanglewood for family picnics on the grounds with his brothers Lawrence and Paul and their families. Music was always an important part of life for David and the Tafe family. The trio of brothers often performed at family functions as “The Irish Tenors”.
Summers were spent happily in Webster, MA with family and friends. David loved fishing at dawn and clambakes on the patio while watching fireworks over Lake Chargoggagoggmanchauggagoggchaubunagungamaugg.
David leaves his wife and best friend, Christine (Zlotnick) Tafe and his beloved children, D. Michael Tafe, Jr. and wife Kaitlin of Brattleboro, VT and Jennifer Stanley Tafe and her partner Matthew Goff of Concord, MA and his beautiful granddaughter, Cecilia Ursula Tafe. He also leaves his brother Paul Tafe and wife Joan of Braintree, MA, brother-in-law, James Grady and wife Shiela of Rochester, MA and cousin Geraldine Kennedy of Mansfield, MA, as well as numerous nephews and nieces and grands. David was predeceased by his sister Barbara Grady and brother H. Lawrence Tafe III and sister-in-law Ursula Tafe.
The funeral will be held on Monday, November 25, from the Sitkowski, Malboeuf & Hickey Funeral Home, 340 School Street, with a Mass at 11:00 AM in Saint Joseph Basilica, 53 Whitcomb Street, Webster, MA. Burial will follow at Saint Joseph Garden of Peace Cemetery. Visitation will be held from 9:00 to 10:30 AM Monday morning in the funeral home.
In lieu of flowers, donations in David’s memory may be sent to the Boston Latin School Alumni Association, 300 Fenway, Suite A375, Boston, MA 02115, the school where it all began.
Eugepae!