Our hearts still ache when memories pop up on our Facebook pages of the amazing times we spent with Francesco.  We remember the friendship, the dinners, the singing and the warmth of this incredible, loving man.  You will always live in our hearts. May your soul rest in eternal peace.  Paul and Cecelia

Dear Alongi Family,

I only recently found this wonderful tribute to Francesco, a man we'd always found to be of warmth, grace, and kindness.  
My dearest friend, Sharon Wagner and I, (and through the years, 2 of her guide dogs), often treated ourselves to the finest of dining at Don Francesco's Ristorante when we 'discovered' it in the early fall of 2002.  
Francesco and his personable staff always made sure that every visit was a memorable experience from the outstanding service to the indescribably delicious meals.  Francesco was the most gracious host as well, coming to greet us personally and remembering not only our names, but small personal details shared in previous conversations.  Francesco's restaurant always felt like we were going to dine at the beautiful home of a friend. 

Through the years, in addition to my many visits with Sharon, I was fortunate to have also shared many special meals with other friends and family at Francesco's.  From playing a favourite song over the speakers for my Parents In-law's 50th wedding anniversary on cue, to providing not only private dining and fabulous food and service for my husband's 50th birthday but a very special aperitif for each of our guests, to countless other occasions, Francesco and his team were so exceptional that these visits have become some of my fondest memories :D 

Sharon passed away in January of 2012, and on her birthday in August of that year, I decided to visit this favourite place of ours and have a lunch and glass of wine in her memory :)  I was fortunate to have arrived at a time that Francesco was in the restaurant, and he expressed his sadness and condolences at the loss of a lovely person.  I know that Sharon would have shared the same sadness for the loss of  Francesco, a most amazing and wonderful man.

I hope that time has softened the pain of this loss for each of you, and that you too are remembering more the happiness and love that Francesco brought into so many lives ☺  
With  thanks and sympathy, 
Pam

I have been away for years and have only just learnt of Mr. Alongi's passing. What a wonderful gentleman and host! Rest in peace dear Maestro and thank you for the years of joy, song and happy memories that you and your superb restaurants brought to me and my family and friends. With deepest condolences to the Alongi Family.

without doubt one of the finest men I've ever known.....caring.....passionate ..
unselfish and a great friend to many....U.Gary

This day, December 22nd 2016, marks the first Anniversary of my beloved and cherished husband, Francesco Alongi, being laid to rest, and I have reread the many letters of condolence, so far amounting to forty-seven.
I want to express my deep appreciation to all those who have written their condolences and in some cases, in recording their individual experiences on meeting this extraordinary and talented man, who touched the hearts of a great number of people.
I am deeply moved by your personal letters, and I want to convey my grateful thanks and appreciation to you all.
Geraldine

Dear Geraldine.    I have just learnt of Francesco's passing.  If you remember I am the grandson of his Opera singing coah Guido Delni, you kindly sent me your story and I spoke to Francesco on the phone in England. I am deeply sad at his passing and your loss, as for me you both were a distant but important connection to my family and our contact regarding my Grandfather Guido filled me with such pride and honour that Francesco would fulfill his opera dreams in what he did.  If you have time and reason then I would be delighted to hear from you and my love and blessings are sent to you across the oceans. (my email is   chrispofford@msn.com)

My Deepest sympathy to the family and friends. Yes, I knew of Francesco Alongi well. I worked for F. Nicola Berardi who owned a restaurant on Howe street and Francesco on Richards Street. They would visit each other and tell old stories. Sometimes we all would go visit Francesco and tease him.We all would laugh so much. What a Beautiful soul. I seen him for the last time in 2001 or 2002 at his new restaurant. Always so polite and a gracious host. Always treated a person like Family.I learned so much from Francesco and his friends( & my former boss Nic Berardi), to do things from the heart and always give respect and have a grateful heart. Thank you Francesco!You will be highly missed old friend! Thank you for all you gave to everyone! From a most grateful friend with a heavy heart.

I feel extremely sad - I worked with Francesco when he had the restaurant on Richards St. I always loved Francesco as he was always the best at everything he did. I will miss him.
Michelle

My deepest sympathies to Francesco's family and dear friends. I heard of his passing recently. I will always think fondly of time spent at the the restaurant; exceptional food and ambiance. I will think of you singing to the angels in heaven. Good bye Francesco. Until we meet again...

My condolences to the family. Big hug for you Frank Jr. Been a long time. xo

With heavy hearts, my family and I express our deepest condolences to the passing of Mr. Francesco. 

I have had the honor and privilege to work alongside Mr. Francesco for the past 12 years.

 From his heartwarming hospitality to his culinary expertise, Mr. Francesco's instilled utmost sincerity and passion in all that he did. With a heart so great and a life so boldly lived, I am forever inspired. 
 
Mr. Francesco's life was immeasurable, and I am blessed with these treasured memories that live on today; his life continues to flourish within us all. 

Mr. Francesco, thank you for the life that you shared with us all. May we honor your aspirations and celebrate your life each and everyday. 

We send our love and support to Geraldine and the rest of the family.

Dear Mrs. Alongi:

I just heard of Francesco's passing and I wish to extend my most heartfelt condolences to you and to the rest of the family.  I met Francesco at his restaurant Alongi in the seventies and we often met and co-operated in Italian community events.  He was a kind man who always accepted to participate with the rest of the community.  He will always be remembered for his smile and love of singing.  

Sincerely,

Anna Terrana, Former President and Executive Director of Italian Cultural Centre Society

My deepest condolences to you Geraldine and your family.  What an amazing life.  What an amazing romance, everything one desires to come true.....an exceptional Valentine's Day story that you two shared every day.  Francesco's dedication to art and life was the embodiment of his being.....and we all shared this intimacy through his cuisine and generosity.

I recall the very first lunch on Richards Street sometime in the spring of 1980.  It was a glorious warm afternoon.  I phoned my wife, it was a romantic conversation.  We are dining out tonight and floated into Alongi's at 8pm.  The charm of his first restaurant was simply divine.  Elegant, polished, professional with nothing out of place.  Everyone was responsible for your table and the service was perfection.  The service was invisible...everything simply happened as if it were magic, Francesco's brand of magic.

I became a long time devotee.  Lunch at least once a week dinner...well frequently.  Followed by more lunches...this now at 2:15 PM after the doors were closed and the staff had lunch...sorry dined for lunch.  The total of my bill.....well what bill.

I would bring my business guests there for lunch's and dinner and of course my parents for special events.

The legacy of Frank lives on with me.  He taught me secrets behind the scenes in the kitchen. No, I am not a chef.  However, I do possess skills that can only be handed down from a Master.  There were a few times I would call him from Beverly Hills. He always returned my calls...how do you do this or that Francesco?.....he would laugh in that most musical of chuckles....take his deep breath and give me the details.  

The pity is, that I judge all North American restaurants including those here in BH by his standards.  In 2007, the best in BH closed, La Cahette.  It was almost a clone of Francesco's style.  Now, even in BH, there is a void in grand cuisine.  Nothing comes as close in North America as Francesco. 

During the winter of 2010 while visiting Vancouver, I had the pleasure of again dining at Don Francesco on Burrard.  My date and I closed the place.  His partners were there.  We had our own private Grappa party standing at the reception desk at the front door..we even stood outside while someone smoked.  Must have finished around 2:30. 

Francesco was the Master Showman.  Once Alongi's on  Richards Street I asked him to perform his magic cascade of flame over crepes suzette.  (he usually did this with 2 silver gravy boats).  I jokingly asked him if he could do it with three?  Stunning...simply something you would now only see in Brussels, Paris or in a Hollywood movie.

Shortly after Don Francesco opened on Burrard Street,  I was attending a conference in Vancouver.  4 of us dined with Frank, me after about a 4 year absence.  I asked him for the crepes suzette flambé extravaganza.  Again with the warm smile and knowing chuckle he said they wont let us do that any more.  He was referring to the City's fire regulations. Hell, this building is concrete I exclaimed.  You can go into a 500 year old building in Paris and have the water flambéed if one would so desire.  We both laughed and lamented the passing of an era.

Francesco...as I stand in my kitchen this weekend.....it will be tenderloin a la Alongi....topped with truffles.

With a tear or two in my wine, thank you for each and every memorable moment shared with you my dear Friend.

Michael K. Leader    Beverly Hills & Vancouver

My organization has held many dinners at Don Francesco's and we always looked forward to seeing Francesco and hearing him sing for us. He always made our time in Vancouver so special. The next time we are there we will observe a moment of silent gratitude and then raise a toast to him. Our condolences to his family. We share in your loss.

-- Chris Powell, Secretary/Treasurer, Gold Anti-Trust Action Committee Inc., Manchester, Connecticut, USA

We only met Francesco about 7 times but each time was a pleasure. Francesco exhuded warmth as a human being not just the professional welcome of a restauranteur welcoming guests. To hear him sing was a beautiful thing.he will be missed by us,and I'm sure by all his many friends and of course his lovely family. Some of whom we know. Our sympathy to Geraldine and Franco in particular.
Bill and Cher

Always enjoyed seeing Francesco in the office. Just sat there and had the work done. No fuss. A sincere and heartfelt thank-you at end of appointment. Real Pleasure

We have lost his body, but not his soul
We have gained his wisdom, and great will
He gave so much, and all with a song
We know he's gone, but not for long
Forever in our hearts and thoughts!

A friend for more than 40 years, my family are deeply saddened by the passing of a truly wonderful man. His indomitable spirit, his character and his charm will be missed by everyone that had the privilege of being in his company. Today we are torn between grief and the celebration of his life. This man gave us not only the benefit of his culinary artistry, but also his outstanding spirit and warm friendship. Our deepest and most sincere condolences go out to his wonderful wife Geraldine, as well as the rest of his family. Thank you for being part of our lives Francesco, you will forever remain in our memories.

Our thoughts and prayers are with you and your family. We are thankful to have known Francesco; he was a good man and so very thoughtful. His smile will be missed!

The Punzo Family: Gino, Marlene, Dean, Frances, Steve and Flavia

My condolences to Franco's family.  He will be missed by all his many friends that he made over the years.  I met him during the opening of the Yellow House and worked for him at his restaurant on Richards.  He was a very caring gentle artist.

Francesco was part of our family and lived at our home for many years. We have fond memories of his singing at the many parties, barbecues and wine tastings. Thank you Frank for the good times.
He will be forever in our hearts and never forgotten.
Our thought and prayers are with you Frank Jr. Elizabeth and Geraldine.

Our deepest condolences to you and your family. Francesco and my father, Mario grew up in Enna, and his brothers, Paul, Pino were married to my aunts. I had the honor to have had shared many fond memories with our families in the 70`s and even had my daughters baptism at Don Francesco`s in 2005.  May he rest in peace.  We wish to express our deepest condolences, he was an amazing man.  Love From the Firenze Family.

Our Deepest Condolences to the family. He was an amazing, generous and wonderful person - a friend to our family for so many years. Bob, Dana and Dora Golden

He was a great man, and will be missed by all.
So Sad

Geraldine,
Heartfelt sympathy. 
He was a wonderful man and a friend.
Jeto Sengara

This is a difficult day. There is no way to say goodbye to Francesco our friend, who was dearly admired in our family.
 
Francesco had many fine qualities and when you met him you knew he was a real gentleman, a very genuine and generous person, was always a pleasant fellow, who made sure to make people feel good.
 
His time has gone and God decided that he needed to come home and be with the lord.  Francesco, you'll always be in our hearts with treasured memories of you.
 
With Love, Bill, Andrea and Alison Dow

We wish to express our deepest condolences to the entire Alongi family on the loss of dear Francesco.
We have known him since the late 60's and enjoyed dining in all his locations over the years.  His warmth, his surprise "performances" and his delicious cuisine were always highlights of our visits.
We will miss him!
May your memories sustain you through this difficult mourning period.
Sincerely,
Yale & Sandy Chernoff, Vancouver,B.C.

Deepest condolences to Geraldine and the Alongi family, especially Elizabeth and Frank Jr..  Francesco was a great friend to our entire family, he was an intrinsic part of our lives and we treasure the memories of our times together.  We have known Frank since the 70s - we would come up from Prince Rupert to the opera and always stop by his place on Richard's street.  We had special events at his restaurant and his home, got to know his family as he was a part of our own.  Each of us has our own special memory of Frank and his wonderful smile filled with humor and happiness.  He always filled our hearts with friendship, our souls with heavenly music and our stomachs with amazing cuisine.  We will miss and remember you always, dearest Francesco.  Love Isabel, Alan, Diana and Michael Hansen.

Our deepest condolences to Geraldine and Francesco's family, especially Elizabeth and Frank Jr..  Frank was a wonderful man; his smile lit up the hearts of all those around him.  He was like a member of the family and we will all miss him dearly.  He had the voice of an angel and the soul of a friend.  We will never forget all the memories we made together and hope he rests in peace.  Isabel, Alan, Diana and Michael Hansen.

You were a beautiful soul Francesco, so happy that I met you.
My deepest condolences to your family.  
Colette Jutras-Elbl   Vancouver, B.C.

I wish to send my condolences to the entire Alongi and Don Francesco's family. I will cherish the moments spent in Francesco's electric presence, especially in the special nights when I was the lucky recipient of his operatic serenade...Torna a Surriento, Francesco.  You hold a special place in our hearts!

DEAR ALL THE ALONGI FAMILY.......NEVER 
A KINDER MORE WELL DESERVING FRIEND. WE SHARED BIRTHDAYS AND HEART ATTACKS AND LOTS OF GOOD TIMES FOR OVER 40 YEARS. HE SANG FOR MY MOTHER EVERY TIME WE VISITED HIS RESTAURANTS.I WILL MISS YOU.......DAVID BOYD

Our condolences go out to Geraldine, and the Alongi family, for the loss of a truly remarkable man: Francesco.  He will be remembered by us as a "world class host", amazing opera singer, a warm & inviting soul who loved making memorable moments for everyone fortunate to spend time with him at his restaurant.  We will always remember the enjoyable evenings at the restaurant and getting to know Francesco.

Dear Geraldine and Family, please accept my sincere condolences to you all. Francesco was one of my best friends we shared fantastic memories of good times on Richards Street and he will be greatly missed. I am sure he is now at peace in the kingdom of God. Sincerely Rino Vultaggio

Francesco was many things...  a kind and  most gentle soul. Compassionate, patient, understanding, not to mention talented. Of all the men of power and prestige that walked through Il Giardino and later, at his own Franceso's, I always had the feeling that he had something that they didn't. He had lived life, travelled, loved and lost. He life was neither easy nor simple, but he never complained. A shrug of his shoulders and a gesture of the hands, and a wry smile. He was incredibly dignified, and although diminutive in stature, could fill up a room with his presence... and his voice! How lucky are those of us that had the pleasure of hearing him sing. He will be missed.

Dear Geraldine, Franco, devoted family and staff. I am so sorry to hear about the passing of a lovely man with a kind heart and generous spirit. Francesco's has always been a special place for me and my friends and family and we will sorely miss Francesco's presence and glorious voice that thrilled. I am away and not able to attend the services this weekend, but know that my thoughts and my prayers are with you. Franco, we have lost touch, but I would love to stay connected. Please contact me in the near future. Sincerest sympathy and much love.

 We would like to send our deepest sympathy to the Alongi family in hearing of the passing of Francesco.
Thank you Francesco for the wonderful memories of great food, fun and listening to that awesome, talented voice of yours.
Ray and I thank you for the major role you played in preparing and providing the banquet on our wedding day on November 11th 1973 at The Little Yellow House. You are sadly missed.

On behalf of our entire concierge team at Fairmont Pacific Rim, please accept our sincere condolences for your loss.  We are grateful to have had Francesco and Francesco's be one of our most hospitable partners.

I first met Francesco in the early 1980s when I was a very young timid & shy girl starting my first full time job at Palm Dairies on Main St. in Vancouver. He would regularly come in to pick up dairy supplies for the restaurant. As an Italian-Canadian I came to appreciate his love of operatic music, Italian cuisine and zestful life. He was very charismatic, charming, yet gentile. I enjoyed his restaurant experience several times with my bosses/friends, Marilyn & Zory. We were always in awe of his talents. We were all love struck! I am very sad to hear of his passing. I know that he, now, is enjoying God's hospitality in heaven.

Your voice was golden and your food was memorable.  A forever treasured experience.  Roger and Juanita

My dear friend Francisco .
You were a great mentor , Friend & the best front of the house person I have ever had the pleasure of working with .
We spent many nights you teaching me the finer points of Italian food & culture .
We shared many glasses of wine and many laughs .
Thank you for making me the chef I am today .
I will truly miss you dear friend .
May your family find peace at this time knowing you are in a better place .
Donald Gyurkovits 
President CCFCC

I would like to express my deepest condolence in the passing of Francesco your husband, father, brother and your grandfather.  I am one of those very appreciated patrons that had the pleasure of meeting this kind and very caring man who made his guests always feel like family.  Meeting Francesco many times when he was at IL' Giardino' and his restaurant on Burrard street. May the family know that he has touched many and will be sadly missed.  May the memories that each of one of you have always be carried in your hearts forever.  

My deepest condolence.

Alongi Family
My deepest condolences on your loss.
For a number of years I was honored to be a friend of Francesco and constant Guest when i would visit Vancouver.
So many a pleasant evening when the vocal cords were in tune with the mood of the room.
Frank J Smith of Edmonton

Thank you Francisco Alongi for giving all your patrons wonderful memories of evenings, shared over your fine food & wine. Your operatic arias gave the night a more romantic ambiance. I remember a very happy birthday celebration at Don Francisco Ristorante. Your restaurants enhanced the Vancouver culinary scene. My condolences to your family. Love and remembrance does last forever

It is with a very heavy heart I write this message.. Our deepest condolences to the Alongi family. Francesco was our friend and we will miss him deeply.  I will hold deep in my heart the beautiful song he sang to me on my birthday.  We will miss you Francesco.  May God have mercy on your soul...rest in peace...God has gained another angel.  Cecelia Hart and Paul Hucul

It is very difficult to accept the loss of a special man like Francesco. His warm and generous personality, his beautiful operatic singing and his superb culinary skills, all combined to earn him the fondness and respect of thousands of people from around the world.

It was our great privilege to be included in his large circle of friends, his passing has created a void and he is greatly missed.

Goodbye Francesco, we will never forget you.

My condolences Geraldine, and the alongi family , our many many nights of sitting together at the bar will be missed and the mentoring I have received from such a talented man will be forever remembered in my heart, may god bless you Francesco

Geraldine...........Sending my deepest condolences  to  you, your family   and Francesco's family.  Was always a pleasure  when  he came in to visit at the bank.  We would always exchange a friendly  handshake and he was always  a  pleasant client.     We will all miss him at the bank.  Cherish the memories .......take care.

Our sincere condolences to the family of Mr. Francesco. My wife and I have had the pleasure of meeting him in his restaurant several times in the past, we will miss him.

OBITUARY

Mr. Francesco Alongi

October 13, 1940 – May 8, 2015

Forest Lawn Funeral Home & Memorial Park

Show your support

Add a Memory

Share Obituary

Get Reminders

Past Services

Funeral Service