Frank Fedele

Frank was born on October 23, 1937 in Pietracamela, Italy. He grew up with a brother, Miro, who was three years older. Their father passed away when Frank was just a year old, and their uncle took care of them financially, but it was incredibly difficult for his mother, Gemma.

Pietracamela lies in the middle of an astounding mountain landscape, and it is located at an elevation 10,000 feet. It is also situated very near some renowned skiing facilities.

Frank enjoyed drawing and painting, especially portraits; he attended a very strict Catholic school, and it was there that he was recognized for his artistic ability. He was quite athletic as well, and liked playing soccer. In the winter, he spent a great deal of time snow skiing, and in the summer, he swam in the river. Now, the “river” was about the size of an average kitchen, and as it was the run-off from the mountain, it was ice cold!

Frank loved his country, and fondly remembered clean water and beautiful mountains. However, there was not much opportunity for him. In the past the economy was mostly based on sheep raising and wool work, whereas today the inhabitants mostly rely on tourism.

Miro and Frank had some cousins that lived in Toronto, Canada, so when they were 18 and 15 years, respectively, they decided to emigrate to Canada in search of a better life.

Frank’s friend, Lino was a year older, and he emigrated to Canada as well. Lino reminisced about the lengthy, challenging journey. They sailed over on a modest boat (about 5x smaller than today’s ships) and in the Mediterranean, all was fine, but after they passed the Straight of Gibraltar, and were in the Atlantic Ocean, it was six days of sickness until they reached Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Neither brother spoke English, and Frank taught himself to read and write English. Frank was extremely driven, focused, and ambitious to leave his mother and only home he’d known for a new language and completely foreign culture. Quite some time later, Gemma left Italy and emigrated to Toronto to live with Miro.

Frank and Lino liked going to the dance hall on Saturday nights, and one evening, the dance was run by the Scottish. Lino and Frank were the only Italians attendance, and they saw two beautiful Scottish girls they’d like to dance with. They watched as one of the young ladies repeatedly turned down requests to dance. Frank bet his friends a case of beer that she’d dance with him. With his good looks and charm, the lovely Scot said, “yes”, and that is the night the two would meet their future brides. The young men approached the ladies and tried to talk, though none understood the other’s language.

Frank paired with Mary, and Lino joined up with Betty. They danced well, and eventually figured out how to communicate. On weekends, the couples drove to Wasaga Beach to go swimming. Wasaga is situated along the longest freshwater beach in the world, and it is a popular summer tourist destination.

They continued dancing quite often over the next several years. The 1950’s were the beginning of the Rock and Roll era, and they loved hearing all the new music. It was certainly a favorite way to spend time with one another.

In Canada, Frank was an entrepreneur, and had two different businesses. One was restoring antiques and refinishing furniture and the other involved him and his 25 employees painting radio covers for Ford Motor company.

After dating for a while, Lino and Betty were the first to marry, and soon Frank and Mary tied the knot as well. Then along came three children, Ian, Tony and Alex. Frank attempted to pass on his Italian language to his children, but they were not at all interested. Mary was a fabulous cook, and learned to make amazing Italian food. She did however, pass on her Scottish heritage, by cooking lots of fish for the family as well. On Christmas Eve, it became tradition for her to fix “The seven fish”. They set out cookies and beer for Santa, and at precisely 12:01am, Frank and Mary woke the children up by saying, “Santa Clause is leaving”! The kids jumped out of bed, and were spoiled with stockings and toys to open and then played until they passed out from exhaustion!

Frank was a great provider, albeit a workaholic, but he always provided whatever was needed for his family. While work kept him busy, he always made it a priority to attend school functions and sporting events for his children. He and Mary watched Alex play baseball and participate in track and field, and he was always there for Ian and Tony’s hockey tournaments.

The Fedele family had a pool at each house they’ve lived in, and Frank was great with the BBQer. They hosted numerous parties with lots of friends and family, and Alex remembers many fun memories in the backyard. They used to rent a cabin, and Mary and the kids stayed there all summer. Frank worked during the week, and joined his family on the weekends, and he especially loved swimming with the kids.

Frank enjoyed playing golf, and he was a terrific tennis player. He and Mary (along with their friends) flew to the Bahamas yearly for at least a decade. One year, Frank also took Tony to visit family back in Italy. Frank went for a short time, but allowed Tony to stay all summer.

Frank was never content to sit around. He certainly was never called, “lazy”. His favorite meal was spaghetti, and he made an excellent spaghetti meat sauce. He was great at making homemade pepperoni pizza, meat sauce for spaghetti and was known for his tasty barbequed steaks and sausages. Frank loved eating at the Keg and often ordered alfredo with clams or shrimp at Red Lobster. He hated corn, because he said, “that’s what pigs eat”!

His favorite type of music was rock and roll from the ‘50’s. He was partial to Elvis Presley and Glen Campbell, Pavarotti, and a bit of Johnny Cash, for good measure.

After taking some vacations to visit another cousin, who lived in Arizona, Frank decided he wanted to emigrate to the United States. He found a lawyer, filled out all the paperwork, and started over (once again) with Mary, and their daughter, Alex. The boys decided they didn’t want to go through the time and hassle, and chose to remain in Canada.

It was painful that the boys stayed in Canada, but Frank and Mary went back to visit (for a month) each summer. It was tradition for Ian and Tony to come to Arizona to celebrate Christmas as a family.

Frank went through some very arduous health challenges in his life. At only 52 years of age, he was diagnosed with esophageal cancer. It was an incredible struggle, as he lost his voice. Just as he’d taught himself English as a teenager, he trained himself to speak again.

After he finished his cancer treatment, he felt compelled to volunteer at the Cancer Center. There he visited with patients undergoing treatment for esophageal cancer, so they could see that there was hope for them as well.

He also dealt with Diabetes, which affected his heart and kidneys. Frank was a fighter, not a worrier. He was naturally optimistic, and besides, Mary worried for the both of them!

Frank and Mary bought a house with 1200 square feet, and he added two rooms to it. He constructed a four-car garage, which gave him plenty of space to tinker around. There he had a white, 1963 Ford Thunderbird, that he restored the engine and its beautiful red interior.

At 79 years-old, he revived a pool table from an unsightly condition to its exquisite grandeur. This was before people could use Google or watch YouTube videos to learn to fix things-everything Frank did, was self-taught.

Frank worked hard throughout his life, and didn’t retire until he was 70. Two years ago, Ian came down and rode back to Canada in Frank’s 1991 GMC Van (which had a new engine) and stayed together all summer.

He had a great sense of humor and loved to tell silly, goofy jokes. As Charlie Chaplin said, “A day without laughter, is a day wasted”. Frank never wasted a day.

He knew what it was like to be discriminated against, so he was very accepting of others. If someone needed a hand, he was the first to volunteer his help. He had gumption, and liked staying busy with projects. He had an easy-going personality, and made people feel good about themselves.

Frank was intensely proud of his children. He was also glad he was able to make it from his tiny village to Canada, and then again to America. He followed his dreams and let nothing stand in his way.

Most of his boyhood friends never ventured from their tiny Mountain homes. While they remained in a beautiful setting, it was an extremely sheltered environment.

“Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage.” ~Anais Nin

Frank never let fear or hard work stand in his way; He appreciated being in Arizona, and its proximity to so many other locales, such as, California, Las Vegas and Mexico, among others.

About eight years ago, he and Mary were dealt a blow that nearly killed them both; they lost their 46-year-old son, Tony in a car accident. They were sick with grief, and while his death had been the most difficult thing they faced, eventually they found a way to carry on.

He was a wonderful husband, and when Mary became ill with congestive heart failure, it was he that so lovingly cared for her. They were married 56 years when she passed away three years ago. After her passing, he and his daughter, Alex became the best of friends. She called her Dad each morning and evening, and he always ended the call by saying, “have a nice day”.

They started going to the Village Inn Restaurant, every Wednesday, for free pie day. Frank invariably ordered a big stack of pancakes, and for his free dessert, he chose, sugar-free apple pie. Another fun way they like to spend time, was going to Costco together.

Alex credited her father for exemplifying such a strong work ethic. She’s been very ambitious in her career, and is grateful to both her parents for giving her the opportunity to live in the United States. He was a wonderful listener, and gave sage advice, coaching her about job difficulties, and was truly interested in her life.

“My father didn’t tell me how to live. He lived and let me watch him do it.” ―Clarence Budington Kelland