Passed away peacefully at home on July 14th surrounded by his loving wife and children. He was 93 years old. Frank was a loving husband, father, grandfather, great grandfather, father-in-law, and uncle. He was born on December 22, 1924 in Kansas City, MO. to Paolina DellaPenta Ciavarella and Nicola Ciavarella. When he was three months old, the family moved to Long Island City, NY, where he would live the rest of his life. Frank was a true gentleman. He was selfless, honest, generous, funny, artistic, and a good singer. In 1950, he married the love of his life, Mary Manta. He was so devoted to her that he called her “His beautiful wife,” almost until his dying day. He loved the Manta family and they loved him in return. Frank was sweet, patient, kind, and loving. He provided the template for what it meant to live a good life and have a wonderful, loving marriage.
He leaves behind his wife of 68 years, Mary (née Manta), and his children, Laura, Linda (Ron), Paula (Blake), Frank J. (Cyndi), John (Caren) and Robert (Rosanna); his grandchildren, Lauren, Peter, Victoria, Julia, Lydia, Francesca, Robert F. and Thomas; his great grandchildren, Mia, Ben, Luke, Mary and Kyleah; loving and devoted nieces and nephews. His much-loved son-in-law, Joe (Laura), and his sister, Philomena predecease him. Frank was the core of the family.
He was very proud of being a New York City fireman, lieutenant and captain during a career that spanned 35 years, retiring in 1986 as Captain of the Division of Safety FDNY. He loved the life of a firefighter and looked forward to the job each and every day. He was extremely proud as well of his active service in the Army Air Corps during World War II, where he served as a radio operator/gunner in B-24 Liberator bombers flying over Germany and Austria. Drafted when he was 18, he was sent to Italy on December 23, 1943, one day after his 19th birthday. On the fourth of the 23 missions he would fly, his plane was shot down over Italy, he bailed out and was cut down from the tree in which he landed by a local farmer. Fortunate to be able to speak Italian, Frank was greeted by the townspeople as a true hero.
Frank loved experimenting with new things. He often gathered his three daughters (before the three boys were born) around the kitchen table to attempt to teach them a variety of things ranging from Morse Code, the ukulele, the “new” math, all of which were not greeted with much enthusiasm. He succeeded, however, in teaching old songs to his three daughters and niece (The Chivy Sisters) for performance at family gatherings, weddings, and christenings. He took up running in his 50s and ran three to five miles every day until he was almost 80. He ran many 5Ks, especially with the FDNY, and diligently recorded every mile and the weather conditions in a journal he kept for years. In his retirement, he took classes to learn stained glass-making and won First Prize for his piece “Victoria,” which now hangs in the transom in his family’s dining room. The piece hung in the window of the YMCA on Lexington Avenue and 53rd Street for over a month.
Frank was always curious and insisted on learning how to use a computer and the internet. He valued education and insisted that each of his children go to college. Each one of them subsequently earned at least one Master’s degree, with one Ph.D. and one law degree among their accomplishments. He was an avid reader and frequent visitor to the Mid-Manhattan library and the local Queens library. He read the New York Times every day. His children and grandchildren enjoyed his off-beat sense of humor. Early on, they all watched Soupy Sales, Monty Python, Benny Hill and other quirky comedy shows, and he delighted his children by mispronouncing words (on purpose) just to get a rise out of them. He loved food and experimenting with new menus; loved the theatre, taking Mary often on Friday night dates; loved the movies and annually rewarded his children for good report cards by outings to Radio City Music Hall. Above all else, Frank's faith in God never wavered. He believed in always doing the right thing, and shared that belief with all who were lucky enough to know him. He has left a void in the hearts of all who knew and loved him so much. Rest in Eternal Peace, Frank.
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.tmquinnandsons.com for the Ciavarella family.
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