WESTBROOK - Frank P. Guidi, 91, longtime owner of Guidi's Diner, passed away peacefully on March 10, 2018.
Born June 2, 1926, Frank grew up on Munjoy Hill, the eldest son of Italian immigrants Eleuterio and Josephine Feroci Guidi.
In 1944, he joined the United States Navy as a chief commissary officer. Proud of his service, he was always happy to reminisce about the different parts of the world he had been to.
In 1950, he married Marion Palermo. Frank retired from the Navy in 1966, moving back to Portland with Marion and their three children. He worked for Hemingway and St. Johnsbury Trucking companies as a dispatcher.
He enjoyed his years in the trucking industry, but after being a chef in the Navy for more than 20 years, it was part of who he was.
In 1976, he found a run-down building on Main Street in Westbrook and thought it would be a great location for a restaurant.
Though he was an excellent cook, he never would have been mistaken for a handyman. His brother-in-law, Gennaro Dadiego, along with cousin, Sam Marcisso, did all of the renovations, making it possible for "Guidi's Diner" to open. Today, Gennaro's grandson, Joseph Dadiego, owns the diner and has maintained the name.
Frank truly appreciated that the business he opened in the 1970s continues to thrive today and is "in the family."
In 1983, Marion died. Frank married Sandra Thompson in 1985. She passed away in 2015.
Frank was an extremely proud man with a sharp mind. He knew his politics and sports. He loved watching the New York Yankees and Duke University basketball. If anyone made food or desserts for him, it was at the risk of knowing he wasn't going to hold back on how it tasted. If Frank told you something was delicious, it was the highest praise.
Frank was a longtime member of the Portland Elks Club and The Italian Heritage Center.
In addition to his two wives, Frank was predeceased by his parents; sisters, Angela Neff and Susan Malloy; brothers, Benny and Joseph Guidi; and grandson, Anthony M. Vail.
He is survived by his sister, Rosemarie Nice; sister-in-law, Sylvia Guidi, and brother-in-law, Ted Hellman; his children: Frank Jr. (wife, Janice), Lisa DiPietro (husband, Rudy), and Andrea Vail (husband, Michael); Sandra's children: Laura Cook (husband, Michael), James Thompson (wife, Michelle), Michael Thompson (wife, Sonia), and Donna Grondin (husband, John); grandchildren: Rudy DiPietro (wife, Cassandra), Angelo DiPietro (wife, Hannah), Gino DiPietro; Christina, Maria and Leah Vail; Andrew Cook (wife, RaeAnne); Joseph Cook (wife, Shelby); Kevin and Jonathan Thompson; Mackenzie and Riley Grondin; and Michelle Davis; and great-grandchildren: Jada and Apollo DiPietro, and Parker and Austin Cook. Frank is also survived by many nieces and nephews.
There will be a Celebration of Life Saturday, March 31, 2018, from 1-4 p.m., with a tribute to Frank at 2 p.m., at Jones, Rich and Barnes Funeral Home.
In lieu of flowers,
please consider making a
donation in Frank's memory to:
Good Shepherd Food Bank
P.O. Box 1807
Auburn, ME 04211
