Frank Cusumano left this world peacefully on May 16 to be reunited with his beloved wife Eunice. He was forty-nine days shy of his 100th birthday. Frank was born on July 4, 1916, in San Leandro and raised in Lodi at the west end of Turner Road near present day I-5. He attended the Turner School and Lodi High School graduating in 1933. He married Eunice Leonardini and they built a home on North Commerce Street where they raised their two sons, Doug and Stan. Frank began his farming career in 1939 with 12 acres and eventually farmed as many as 2,000 acres of tomatoes in Fresno County. Ever the entrepreneur, Frank would serve as president of four separate corporations. In his youth he played the clarinet in the Stockton Symphony, and as a young man he played the saxophone in a dance band. Frank served for twenty-four years on the Stockton Planning Commission - a record that will never be broken due to term limits, and he was active in politics at the local, state, and national levels. Over the years he was active in the Woodbridge 4H Club, Stockton Growers Inc., West State Distributors, Lodi Italian Club, Westlands Land Inc., Stagg High School PTA, Native Sons #7, Lodi Eagles, Stockton Elks, Stockton Gardeners, Waterloo Gun and Bocce Club, San Joaquin Agriculture Advisory Board, and Liguri Nel Mondo. Frank was preceded in death by his wife of 67 years, Eunice, and is survived by his sons, Doug and Stan.
Visitation is on Tuesday, May 24, 2016 from 1:00pm – 6:00 pm at De Young (downtown) and Funeral Service is on Wednesday, May 25, 2016 at 10:00 am, also at De Young. Interment to follow at San Joaquin Catholic Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, Frank requested that donations be made to the UC Davis Alzheimer’s Center in honor of Eunice Cusumano.
Arrangements under the direction of De Young Memorial Chapel, STOCKTON, CA.
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