Taren T. Cummings passed away on July 10th, 2023, peacefully at home in Pawling, NY.
He was born on March 28, 1944, in Brooklyn, NY, to Natalie (Keys) Cummings and Robert J. Cummings.
At two years old, his family moved to Pawling, NY, where he gladly lived for the rest of his life. He loved Pawling and often spoke of how simple and pleasurable it was to grow up there.
As a young child, he had a fascination with automobiles and anything mechanical. His mother would find him just watching the action at the local service station. He was quick to take something apart just to see how it worked. He always loved fixing things and became a brilliant mechanic at a very young age.
As a teenager of the 1950s and early 1960s, he loved the car culture and the beginnings of rock ‘n’ roll. Buddy Holly was his favorite and, for the rest of his life, his music taste never wavered. Once the British Invasion took place, he decided that kind of music wasn’t for him, so he listened to 1950s and early 1960s rock ‘n’ roll daily ever since.
In 1962, he graduated from Pawling High School in a class of 28 students. A tight-knit group for sure. Over the years, he kept in touch with many of his classmates. He was very nostalgic about that time in his life – the simplicity of spending time with his friends at the local drive-in hamburger stand, bowling alley, or just driving around. He often spoke about a certain innocence and naivety in small-town USA, which greatly shaped his values and beliefs. He went to work after high school as a mechanic and built his reputation as a young man who could fix anything.
His small-town naivety certainly changed when he was drafted into the United States Army in 1965. He served in Vietnam and was honorably discharged in 1967. He never really spoke about his experiences in the war; however, he proudly served his country. While in Vietnam, he was able to order a brand new 1967 GTO. The car waited for him and, when he returned home from Vietnam, he was able to forever connect with his GTO – a car that he still owned at the time of his passing. 1967 was a big year for him. He went to work as a Village of Pawling police officer and that’s when he met his wife, Mary Liffland. He was smitten by her right away and it wasn’t long before he took her out in his GTO for ice cream. They would marry on February 22, 1969.
In the fall of 1967, he followed in his father’s footsteps and fulfilled his dream of becoming a New York State Trooper – a position he held for the next 35 years.
His career with the State Police was very special to him and quite unique. It’s hard to put into words the impact he had on so many lives. He was able to help people in many ways – never wanting any publicity or anything in return. Often people knocked on his door with various issues that he would guide them through. So many valued his opinion and trusted him considerably. Midway through his career, things would come full circle when he was assigned to automotive fleet management for the State Police. Mixing police work and vehicles was the perfect job for him. He was proud to be a State Trooper and thought highly of the police profession in general. A staunch supporter of law enforcement, the fire services, and our military. No one rooted for “the good guys” more than he did.
After retiring from the State Police in 2002, he waited around for about two minutes before he was honored to become a Commissioner for the Pawling Fire Department. He enjoyed the friendships he made there with the younger firefighters and spending time with the veterans of the Department.
His public service did not stop there because he was elected judge of the Village of Pawling. On the bench, he was able to be fair and empathetic with everyone. He really tried to take his time and make every case a priority. Unfortunately, his health forced him to retire earlier than he wanted to from the court. He certainly left his mark there and he greatly missed going to court each day.
Over the years, he amassed a collection of antique cars, jukeboxes, soda machines, and records. Once again, his small-town honest approach served him well in the community where he made several meaningful friendships and so many memories.
He was very proud of his two sons, Taren J. Cummings and Daren Cummings, as well as their wives, Heather Cummings and Alison Cummings. He was even prouder when they made him a grandfather. He was blessed to have his grandson, Taren R. Cummings, join him on his daily adventures. The two of them formed a strong bond over automobiles and anything with a motor. Then came four granddaughters in a row. The tough exterior that he always displayed vanished around those little girls. Caitlin, Taylen, Vivienne, and Bella. He loved them all very much. Grandpa will be forever in their hearts.
Taren is also survived by his brother, Geoffrey K. Cummings, and his wife, Deborah Mann. Not one to express his emotions much, however, Taren was very proud of his brother. It made him very happy knowing that his little brother was very hardworking and successful as an engineer and attorney. Also, Geoff and Debbie raised two brilliant daughters, Dr. Elizabeth Cummings and Sarah Cummings. Taren was delighted to call them his nieces.
The luckiest break in his life was when he met and married Mary. Her dedication to him over their 54 years of marriage is unparalleled. She took care of so many aspects of his daily life. He was so grateful to her and loved her very much for being by his side – from the beginning to the very end.
Arrangements were under the direction of the Horn & Thomes, Inc. Funeral Home, 83 East Main Street, Pawling, NY.
