Francis Blanchette

Francis ‘Frank’ Blanchette of Valley Cottage, NY, 75 years old, passed away suddenly on October 22, 2025.

Frank was married for 52 years to his high school sweetheart, Jean, who predeceased him in 2024. Frank leaves behind his son Robert, daughter-in-law Christy of Valley Cottage,and his two grandchildren, Jay of Greenfield, MA, and Val of Valley Cottage.

Frank was predeceased by his brother Danny, and is survived by his brother Kenny of Monticello, NY, and his sister Laurie of Zephyr Hills, FL, with whom he had a strong bond and talked to daily by phone.

Born on October 10, 1950, in Nyack, NY, Frank was a lifelong Rockland native. Frank attended the Clarkstown Schools, where he later worked as the Head Custodian at Lakewood Elementary and was affectionately known by all as ‘Mr. Frank’. Along with his attention to taking care of the school building, he brought joy to the school kids with his skill at talking about Pokémon cards or discussing Super Mario Bros. strategy.

In his younger years, Frank and his wife Jean enjoyed hiking in Bear Mountain and tinkering on their beloved classic cars. In his later years, he was often seen during the day in his yard battling the acorns from his beautiful oak trees and watching cartoons in the evenings. After Jean’s passing, his constant companion was their cat Aslan, who woke him too early each day to have his food bowl filled.

In accordance with Frank’s wishes,there will not be a public viewing.

Frank was a good neighbor to all,and in lieu of donations or flowers, Frank’s family asks all who knew him to remember him by doing an act of kindness.