Justin D. Cole

September 23, 1982 – September 15, 2026

Justin D. Cole, 43, of Henrietta, New York, passed away on September 15, 2026, after an aggressive cancer ended his life far too soon.

Justin was a husband, father, brother, uncle, friend, teacher, mentor, colleague, and so many other things to so many people. He is survived by his wife, Erin Cole, and his daughter, Amelia, who are heartbroken that they did not get nearly enough time with him. He is also survived by his sister, Ashley Zeh, and her husband, William Zeh; his nephew and nieces; and many friends who became family. Justin was predeceased by his parents, Lillie & David Cole.

Justin loved teaching and was deeply passionate about GIS education. He was pursuing his PhD so that he could continue teaching full-time. His most recent work focused on accessibility and mapping, including closely examining color choices in maps and creating 3-D maps designed to make geographic information more accessible to people with vision impairments. His attention to those details reflected something larger about Justin: he cared about making things better and making sure more people could be included.

Justin was someone who consistently thought about other people before himself, always wanting to make things easier for those he loved. He was also wonderfully, unmistakably himself. Justin loved jokes and obscure references that almost no one else understood and was perpetually surprised when they didn’t land.

Family and teaching brought Justin tremendous joy, but so did the things he made with his hands. He was an avid fisherman and especially loved fly fishing at Oatka Park. He built his own fly rods and tied his own flies, taking pride in every step of the process.

That same patience and precision showed up in his love of building Gundam models. He could spend hours cutting pieces, sanding nubs, and carefully painting the smallest details. Even better than building them himself was getting to share that interest with other people, whether through Build Club or with the children in his life.

Justin’s life was far too short, but it was full of things that will continue beyond him, in the students he taught, the people he mentored, the things he created, the photographs he took, the traditions he shared with Amelia, the friendships he built, and most of all, in the people who loved him.

Justin made one particular request that his family hopes everyone will help fulfill: tell stories about him.

Stories can be shared through the funeral home website, during his services, or directly with his family. Erin will collect them so that Amelia can continue learning about the parts of her dad that she is still too young to know, the stories from before she was born, the things he did when she wasn’t there, and the ways he mattered to people throughout his life.