Frank was born on June 13, 1929, in Manhattan, the youngest of three sons of Antonio and Philomena Sardinha. The family later moved to the Gerritsen Beach neighborhood of Brooklyn, N.Y., where Frank grew up during the years of the Great Depression and World War II. Frank regularly reminisced fondly about his boyhood years near the beach, including playing ball games with local neighborhood kids and indulging in Nathan’s hot dogs in nearby Coney Island. When Hurricane Sandy destroyed parts of his old neighborhood in 2012, including the home that once belonged to his parents, he was visibly affected.
Frank attended Haaren High School in Manhattan (Class of 1947) and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1951 from Brooklyn College, with a focus on languages. After college, Frank served in the U.S. Army during the height of the Korean War.
Frank spent most of his career as a loan officer for the credit union established for employees of the Bulova Watch Company, which had corporate and manufacturing offices in Elmhurst, Queens, N.Y. Later in life, Frank served as a security guard in lower Manhattan for the 32BJ branch of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU). On September 11, 2001, Frank was working just a few blocks from where the World Trade Center buildings collapsed and subsequently spent the night sleeping in a dental chair in a medical office.
Frank is remembered for his fondness of and ear for foreign languages: he spoke fluent Spanish and dabbled in Portuguese, a language his mother spoke. He was known for his musical talents: he played piano (and to a lesser extent, guitar) largely by ear and was a special guest performer at his daughter’s wedding reception in 2012. He is also remembered for his gracious and welcoming personality, and his sense of humor, albeit, corny at times. As his aging Generation X and late Boomer adult children can now readily relate to, Frank once stated proudly and with a straight face (in his typical play-on-words fashion): “I don’t disco, because when I disco, my disc goes.”
Frank is survived by his eldest daughter, Carol Sardinha (married to Justin Pickens) of Rockville, MD, and son, Michael Sardinha (married to Christine Sardinha) of Middle Village,
Queens, NY. Frank is predeceased by his wife of 59 years, Marie Sardinha, who passed away in 2020, and his two older brothers, Albert Sardinha and Victor Sardinha.
In lieu of flowers, donations in Frank’s memory can be made to any of the following organizations: Catholic Charities Brooklyn & Queens, the Society of St. Vincent De Paul, St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital.
Visitation will be held at Kennedy-Roth Funeral Home, 41-45 58th Street, Woodside, NY 11377, US, on August 30, 2026, from 2:00 pm to 7:00 pm.
A Mass of Christian Burial will take place at St. Sebastian Roman Catholic Church, 58-02 Roosevelt Ave, New York, NY 11377, US, on August 31, 2026, from 10:45 am to 11:45 am.
A Committal Service will be held at St. Charles / Resurrection Cemeteries, 2015 Wellwood Ave, Farmingdale, NY 11735, US, on August 31, 2026, from 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm.
