Frank Colella

Frank Colella, age 90, died peacefully on October 6. He was predeceased by his wife, Isabel, parents, Gioacchino and Pasqua, sister, Maria Elisa, and brother, Felice. He is survived by his daughters, and their spouses, Maria and Sam, Nancy and Peter, Patricia and Scot; granddaughter, Alexia and husband James; granddaughter, Morgan; and great-grandchildren, Charlotte and Alexander; and step-grandchildren, Stephen Klages and Sarah Klages.

Like his parents and brother, Frank took a gamble and left his small hometown in Italy to seek his fortune in the United States. However, his trip was a bit longer. When he left Italy in the mid 1950s, the United States had placed significant limitations on the number of immigrants it would allow from Western Europe but not from South America, so he went first to Venezuela, where he met and married Isabel and had their first child. After a few years, he and Isabel decided to move to Brooklyn, New York, where they joined the rest of Frank's immediate and extended family.

Frank never regretted his decision to move to the United States. He and Isabel often commented that they were living like royalty in America, meaning they had attained a lifestyle and comfort that would have never been possible for them in Italy or Venezuela.

Frank loved his family, his friends, his country, and his church. He and Isabel worked tirelessly to ensure that the lives of their children would not be as hard as their own. He was very proud of his daughters' accomplishments. He found great joy in his granddaughters and great-grandchildren; his only regret was that Isabel did not live to meet and enjoy their great-grandchildren as he did. He was very proud of having become a citizen of the United States in 1970, and voted in every election, without fail, because he was so honored to live in a country where each person is able to vote without threats or fear of reprisal. He loved everyone at the Shrine of St. Bernadette, in particular the members of his long-time prayer group, who gave him unfailing comfort and friendship, especially after Isabel's death, when he made the decision to move into a retirement community. In typical Frank fashion, he quickly made friends at his new home, and even started a weekly prayer group there and arranged to have a mass celebrated each month, for the benefit of those residents who could no longer drive to attend other prayer groups or church.

Frank had several serious chronic health conditions that slowly and inexorably limited his mobility, particularly in the last few months of his life. Despite those challenges, he remained a very warm and loving man, who enjoyed sharing stories about his long and interesting life.

Papa, we miss you terribly, but we're so happy you are reunited with Mom and your other loved ones. We know you will keep watch over us, until we can be altogether again.