Andrew Joseph Franzone Jr.

Andrew "Andy" Joseph Franzone, Jr., 57, of Corpus Christi, Texas and Chesterbrook, Pennsylvania, peacefully passed away surrounded by family on December 28, 2022, after battling pancreatic cancer since his Stage IV diagnosis in July 2021. Andy was born on May 8, 1965, in Queens, New York to Andrew and Patricia Franzone, and was raised on Long Island in the town of Kings Park, where he graduated from Kings Park Senior High School.

In January 1987, Andy enlisted in the United States Navy and was stationed in Virginia Beach, Virginia as an Aviation Electronics technician. He was deployed to the Mediterranean and Persian Gulfs in 1989 and 1991 respectively on the USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) supporting the Persian Gulf war during the 1991 deployment. He also deployed aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) in 1992 during initial ship trials and commissioning. Andy gained the rank of Aviation Electronics Technician Second Class Petty Officer during his time in the Navy.

After his service in the Navy, Andy went to Penn State University (University Park) and graduated in December 1997 with a BS in Chemical Engineering. While studying at Penn State, Andy continued to serve his country by enlisting into the Pennsylvania National Guard in February 1995, as a ROTC cadet. He was commissioned as Second Lieutenant in December 1997, followed by a series of promotions as follows: July 2000 to First Lieutenant; August 2004 to Captain; January 2011 to Major; and 2016 to Lieutenant Colonel. As an officer, Andy served in three operations, as follows: Operation Enduring Freedom (July 2002 – April 2003);

Operation Iraqi Freedom (July 2007 – 2008); and Operation Inherent Resolve (January 2018 – January 2019). Although awards didn’t matter to Andy, he received many: Meritorious Service Medal; Army Commendation Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster; Army Achievement Medal with Two Oak Leaf Clusters; Navy Good Conduct Medal; Army Reserve Components Achievement Medal with Six Oak Leaf Clusters; National Defense Service Medal with Bronze Service Star; Southwest Asia Service Medal with Campaign Star; Iraq Campaign Medal with Campaign Star; Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal; Global War on Terrorism Service Medal; Armed Forces Reserve Medal with Silver Hourglass, M Device (2 Awards); Army Service Ribbon; Army Overseas Service Ribbon (3 Awards); Army Reserve Components Overseas Training Ribbon (3 Awards); Navy Sea Service Deployment Ribbon with Two Bronze Service Stars; Joint Meritorious Unit Award; Navy Unit Commendation Award; Army Meritorious Unit Commendation; Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation.

Andy married Karen Vaudo, also of Kings Park, on November 28, 1998. Together, they brought two children into the world, Anya, 21, and Andrew, 18. Andy is survived by them, as well as by his parents, Andrew and Patricia Franzone of Kings Park, New York, his brothers Lawrence of Ocoee, Florida and Paul of Smithtown, New York, and his sister Michelle, of Kings Park. He is also survived by fourteen nieces and nephews, and his two dogs, Koda and Finn.

After Andy and Karen married, they moved to Longview, Texas for the start of Andy’s career in the oil services and/or chemical industries. His employer at the time was Schlumberger, but that was short-lived due to immediate layoffs. Andy and Karen then packed up and drove off to Pennsylvania where they moved to what Karen’s late Uncle Anthony dubbed as heaven on earth,

Chesterbrook, into a condo that he and his wife, Aunt Dorothy, scouted for them. A year later they purchased a townhouse in Chesterbrook and lived there until 2015, when Andy’s work took him to Corpus Christi, Texas, after which he continued to serve the Pennsylvania National Guard. During the years in Chesterbrook, Andy worked for Dickson, an environmental consulting company, in Newark, Delaware. In his role, Andy worked for the client Rodel; management loved Andy so much that they hired him full time (Rodel was then bought out by Rohm & Haas and later became Dow). Andy made the 60 – 90 minute each way commute each day from Chesterbrook for almost fifteen years. Today, Andy is remembered by former colleagues and managers for his strong work ethic and sense of humor. In Corpus Christi, Andy worked at OxyChem, where he had been promoted in 2017 to Environmental Superintendent. His manager here remembers Andy as being dedicated to his work and having continually gone out of his way to assist others, no matter how busy he was, how late it was, or how sick he was – in fact, Andy worked full time until October 4th, 2022, and never complained once.

Over the years, Andy had played lacrosse and soccer, and volunteered some time assistant-coaching the Corpus Christi Sharks boys’ lacrosse team that Karen had started. Andy also loved to watch Penn State football, and was very much a college football guy rather than pro. Finally, Andy was a big dog person; in fact, in 2011 he drove eight hours after a long drill weekend to get Koda from a breeder and surprised Anya and Andrew in Chesterbrook, after their first dog, Nipper, had died. In Corpus Christi, at Anya’s request, Andy went to the dog shelter to rescue Finn, because she knew he (Finn) was there.

Andy was dedicated and excelled in everything he did. He will be remembered warmly by the many people he touched across the years, and, of course, by his loving family. However, he will probably be most remembered for his love of and devotion to his country. At his request, Andy will be buried at Fort Indiantown Gap National Cemetery, which is fitting given his over twenty-five years in the Pennsylvania National Guard.

Should you be inclined to donate in Andy’s memory, please consider Samaritan’s Purse, an organization that provides aid to hurting people affected by war, poverty, and disasters, of which Andy was very fond, or, Pancreatic Cancer Network, a charity that funds research, provides patient/caregiver support, conducts community outreach and advocates for increased federal research funding for those affected by pancreatic cancer.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.AllevaFuneralHome.com for the Franzone family.