Obituary of Francesco "Frank" D'Alessandro

D'Alessandro, Frank (Francesco) of Totowa, New Jersey died peacefully at home on March 27, 2019 with his loving wife Anita at his side after a long battle with Alzheimer's disease. Anita has been by his side the entire time providing him with care and unconditional love at home. He was 87 years old. Frank was born June 22, 1931 in Pacentro, Italy. He left Italy in pursuit of his dreams. His travels took him through Venezuela and ultimately to Paterson, New Jersey. He is preceded in death by his father Lorenzo and mother Filomena (Dilisio) D'Alessandro, brothers Attilio, Salvatore, Remo, and sister Lina Constantini. Anna Caraccia is the remaining sibling who resides in Adelaide, Australia. Frank was a road construction foreman and a member of Local 472. Anyone who ever met him described him as a gentle and humorous individual who always had a smile on his face and would always give everyone a helping hand. His grandchildren affectionately called him "Silly Grandpa". Even in illness he had a mild-mannered disposition. He had a passion for vegetable gardening and after his retirement he could often be seen walking 6-8 miles daily through the streets of Totowa and Garret Mountain. He and his wife also loved to dance and travel. He leaves his wife of 59 years Anita (Claussen) D'Alessandro, their twins; Victor and his wife Dr. Karen Fehr-D'Alessandro of Pooler, GA and Vincent and his wife Karen (Tramutola) D'Alessandro of North Caldwell, NJ, grandchildren, Victoria, Gabrielle, and Garrett, and great grandchildren Tyler and Aubrey; as well as many other relatives and friends. Relatives and friends are invited to attend the visitation at Festa Memorial Funeral Home, 111 Union Blvd., Totowa, NJ 07512 on Sunday March 31, 2019 from 4 - 8 PM. All will gather at the funeral home on Monday April 1st at 9:00 AM and then proceed to St. James Catholic Church in Totowa, where a 10AM funeral mass will be offered. Immediately afterwards an entombment will be held at Laurel Grove Cemetery in Totowa. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to either the: "Alzheimer's Association" Alzheimer's Association National Capital Area Chapter, 8180 Greensboro Drive, Suite 400 McLean, VA 22102, or the ASPCA (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) PO Box 96929, Washington, DC 20090-6929. For more information, go to www.festamemorial.com.