Francis Andrew Trovato

92 years old

Passed Away, December 12, 2017 in Renton Washington.

Frank, or Francis, as he liked to be called later in life, was affectionately called "Buddy" or "Uncle Bud" by many family members and “Dad” or “Papa” to his children. Others just called him “a real character.” He was born in 1925 in Braddock, PA to parents, Peter and Eleanor Trovato. Their family of eight moved to San Diego in the late forties.

In 1952, he met his bride, Diana, in San Diego at the restaurant her parents owned. They fell in love and were married only two months later. They just celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary last June. Together, they raised four children, taught them to love God, and made it possible for each of them to attend twelve years of parochial school. Family always came first for Dad. Even though he worked more than 12 hours a day to support his family, he always made time to take us on a fun two-week camping vacation each year.

After retirement, Mom and Dad moved from San Diego to Merlin, Oregon in 1981. Dad regularly played racquetball (into his mid-80’s), became an Auxiliary Member of the Josephine County Sheriff's Office and enjoyed chopping wood and working on their five-acre wooded property on Janice Way. Mom and Dad attended Saint Anne's Catholic Church in Grants Pass for over 30 years. After moving to Washington, they became parishioners at Saint Anthony's Church in Renton.

Dad lit up the room with his quick wit and sense of humor. He could (and did) strike up a conversation with most anyone. He always tried to make people's days a little brighter. He had the ability to sense when someone was having a bad day and always did his best to make them smile, which, considering his charming personality, worked 99.9% of the time. He never missed an opportunity to pay someone a sincere compliment. He genuinely cared about people and wanted the best for them. Just about every day , out of the blue, he'd look at my mom, usually from across the room, and say, "I love you, mama," then he’d walk over to her and give her a big kiss - no matter when, where, or who was in the room.

Dad lived simply, took pleasure in the small things and lived for the moments. In the end, he didn't leave things unsaid. He'd often tell us how proud he was of us and how proud he was to have us as children. He'd never leave or hang up the phone without saying, "I love you."

His love made us happy. His love gave us strength. His love is ours forever. We will miss him every day.

For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God.

- Colossians 3:3

If you are planning to attend Frank's memorial service, Dignity Memorial Bereavement Travel Program may offer more affordable flight options. They can be reached at 800-224-4177. The reference number is 2480.