Frank D’Ambrosio
elevated ViVK5 Francesco (“Frank”) D’Ambrosio
elevated ViVK5 Born: September 30, 1931
elevated ViVK5 Deceased: December 9, 2020
elevated ViVK5 Francesco (“Frank”) D’Ambrosio, age 89, loving husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather of Vaughan, Ontario passed away peacefully on December 9, 2020.Â
elevated ViVK5 Born on September 30, 1931 to Pietro and Filomena in Guardia Lombardi, Avellino, Italy, he spent his childhood in Italy before settling in Canada. In Italy, Frank served in the military from May 1953 to August 1954, where he was stationed in Padua with the 41st  Reggimento Artiglieria Pesante Campale. Prior to departing for the military, he met his wife and lifelong love of 70 years, Maria, and upon his return they married in September of 1955. Together they embarked on a journey to Canada, where they settled and built a home for their young family. There they raised their daughter Pierina and son Peter. Frank worked tirelessly in the construction industry as a carpenter to support his family. Â
elevated ViVK5 Always on his feet, Frank was immersed in life. Â Ready to embrace, cheers, dance, and play his accordion, he was seated steadfast at the head of every table, filling his home with moments of celebration. His music, like his smile and laugh, were infectious. Wearing suits whether in the house or working in the garden, he showed up to life every day, fully. Â His presence emanated.
elevated ViVK5 Frank was a craftsman, dedicated to building spaces for his family and creating worlds for his wife, children and grandchildren. With his hands, he built his family’s home, the contents within it, gardens that fed multiple generations, and spaces for imaginary adventures in the backyard.  He created gifts out of the ordinary. Resilient and disciplined in all of his efforts, Frank was never deterred.
elevated ViVK5 Ever loyal and devoted, Frank’s actions were propelled by his love for his family.  Everything that he did was in service of others and there were no lengths that Frank would not travel for people that he loved. His generosity unmatched, always willing to give of his time to assist. To the end of his life, he fought hard, as he always had, to be present and to protect those he loved.  A profoundly compassionate spirit, Frank will always be remembered for his open heart and benevolence.
elevated ViVK5 Â Now reunited with his parents, Pietro and Filomena, his brothers Antonio and Vito, his parent-in-laws Giovanni and Incoronata, his sister-in-law Antonietta and his brother-in-laws Michele and Francesco, Frank surely has them together celebrating. He will be forever cherished by his wife, Maria, daughter, Pierina (Luigi), son, Peter (Loredana), grandchildren, Josie (Joe), Louis (Alessia), Sarah (Jafar) and Matthew, great-grandchildren, Adam and Luke, his sister Maria, his sister-in-laws, Francesca and Grace (Domenic), his nieces and nephews, and by his many friends and relatives.
elevated ViVK5 The family will host a private ceremony and burial. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Alzheimer’s Society and the Heart & Stroke Foundation.
elevated ViVK5 Click here to view Service
elevated ViVK5
I will always remember Frank with a smile on his face and his love of family!
My dad loved talking to Frank and sharing a glass of wine with him at the cottage.
Rest In Peace now.🙏🏻❤️
Cara famiglia D’Ambrosio,
We offer our deepest and most heartfelt condolences for the loss of Frank. We pray that he may rest in peace and be reunited with his family in heaven. May God continue to grant you courage and strength during this difficult time.
We are saddened that due to the restrictions imposed by the pandemic, we cannot express our condolences in person. However, please know that your family continues to be in our thoughts and prayers.
Con tanto amore,
Raffaele e Giovanna Lisena e Famiglia (Comara Maria, Vitalina e Vito)
Caro Fratello Franco
Il mio cuore è spezzato e pieno di dolore che ci hai lasciato. Ho sempre avuto tanto amore e affetto per te. Hai fatto tanto per me e la mia famiglia, e ci hai dato l’opportunitĂ di una vita migliore qui in Canada. Nessuna parola può esprimere quando ti apprezzamo e l’amore che tutti abbiamo per te.
Riposa in pace, mio caro fratello.
Tua sorella, Maria
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Dear Zia Maria, Pierina (Luigi), Peter (Loredana), and families
Our hearts are broken. The loss of our dear uncle who was so cherished and respected is unbearably painful. Our deepest condolences to all of you. Our thoughts and prayers are with you at this difficult time. We have always admired and respected Zio Franco as the leader of our families, as the caring and loving person who united and helped us get established here in this country, and taking us into his home during the early years. The memories of family gatherings especially in his home, in your home, will always be remembered and cherished. Words cannot express the love and respect we have for Zio. Take comfort in the memories Zio Franco left us all with. May he rest in peace. He will always remain in our hearts with cherished memories.
Sorrella Maria D’Ambrosio,
Nephews and niece – Angelo, Peter and Anna (Joe Carpino) and families
Our deepest condolences to our comara Maria, Pierina and Luigi, Peter and Loredana and all the grandkids.
Our dearest comparo was so precious to us. He was our true father figure and will be forever blessed with all the beautiful memories we have of him. He filled our hearts with love, caring and fun. He was the strongest, hardest working man I have ever known. He will forever be in our hearts.
May you rest in peace.
We love you,
Mary, Peter and Noah Spinelli
Our deepest condolences to the D’Ambrosio family. You are in our thoughts and prayers. May Frank rest in peace.
Anna and Renato Iaboni and Family
Caro compare franchino avrei tanto voluto vederti un’altra volta prima che tu andassi via.Ho dei ricordi bellissimi di te e della comara Maria, ricordo con affetto quanto mi avete voluto bene quando sono stata in canada mi avete accolto come una sorella.R.I.P.caro compare franchino e prega per la comara Maria, i tuoi figli, nipoti e tutti noi❤🙏ro
Our deepest condolences to the family
Helen & Maurizio Cristini
Caro Comparo, il mio cuore è spezzato, so che ora sei in un posto migliore a festeggiare con i tuoi cari del passato. Conserverò sempre i bei ricordi che ho di te e non dimenticherò mai tutto quello che hai fatto per me negli ultimi 37 anni. Ci mancherai per sempre e per sempre nel mio cuore. Ti amo.
Ida, Steve, Steven, Nicholas and Angelica
To the D’Ambrosio family! We want to send out deepest condolences to you all. We are going to miss Frank very much, he was a hard working and kind man.
Josie & Family,
May all the fond memories of your grandfather give you the all the strength and courage as you begin to grieve.
Sending you our deepest sympathies. Rest in peace.
Our deepest condolences to the entire family. Our thoughts and prayers are with you during this most difficult time.
Dear Maria and family words can’t describe the pain in your hearts for the loss of our beloved Frank.
He will a!ways be in our prayers and our hearts forever
We want to express our deepest condolences on the loss of your husband, father and grandfather during this difficult time. Sending our love and prayers.
Rose Santoli and family
Mary, Frank Jr and Michael
le nostre piĂą sincere condoglianze per la perdita del nostro caro Franco. SarĂ sempre ricordato per la sua gentilezza. Con amore
Cristina e Michele Palazzo
Extending our heartfelt condolences to the D’Ambrosio Family!
May the good memories see you through the difficult times ahead. Our thoughts and prayers are with you all.
We apologies that due to the restrictions imposed by the current pandemic, we are unable to express our condolences in person.
Thinking of you…Lina and Mario Rossi
Never at a loss for words, I find myself struggling to find the right words that encapsulate all that this amazing human represented to me and everyone that had the pleasure of knowing him.
A week ago, I awoke for the first time without my hero and lifelong mentor by my side. While the initial thought of him not being around is incredibly difficult to comprehend, having the time to reflect on his life I quickly realized that while his physical form may not be with me, his spirt, soul and energy has not diminished and shall be by my side forever, as it always has been.
Short in physical stature, he was truly a giant of a personality and presence. He loved life and lived it. He devoted his entire life serving and providing for those that he loved, starting with his life partner of 70 years, his wife Maria and his family. The man in perpetual motion that fueled the family engine, inspiring those that were dearest to him to do more. He provided endless opportunities by demonstrating the true values of life; through his support, encouragement, creativity and unconditional love, all without ever having to say very much. His eyes spoke volumes and he always led by example.
My father was always ready for the next task or challenge, demonstrating an energy that was boundless. He never seemed to tire and immersed himself fully in everything that he undertook, be it work, play or life. Resilient beyond belief, there was very little that could deter him from reaching his desired results.
From the time of his birth in the heart of the great depression; to the experience of living through the second World War and its aftermath as a young boy and teenager; to the courage of packing up his family and moving to a new country (unable to communicate in the new language and culture); to facing hardship in finding employment in his adopted land; to his final days being confronted with a World Pandemic preventing him from celebrating his life with family and friends that he so cherished, he always found a way to persevere and overcome all obstacles presented, making the most of the situation.
As a young boy growing up with my father and seeing the energy that he portrayed, I continually gravitated towards him in the hope that he would impart some wisdom upon me and teach me new skills. Even though I was a difficult child, he demonstrated incredible patience and care to never discourage me from exploring and always encouraged me to try new things. He would never say “no you can’t” but rather always made it clear that if you want to do something you have to figure out how to make it happen and try to be the best at it.
As the years passed and I started my own family, my father was again always the first to want to assist. He embraced my wife (Loredana) as his adopted daughter and would go to the ends of the earth for her, doing whatever he could around our house (even if you didn’t ask). He was constantly searching for my children (Sarah and Matthew), wanting to help with them, play with them or simply just talk to them. He provided an incredible support system for my young family that permitted all of us to flourish as a unit. Nonno was always there by their side.
In the later stages of his time on earth he unfortunately developed a terrible disease that stripped him of his ability to communicate with his loved ones and drained him of his cherished memories, yet we knew that by looking into his eyes he found comfort in knowing that his loving family was there by his side for him. As the determined fierce warrior that my father was, he battled the disease with incredible vigor as he turned to his love Maria for help in his daily care and daughter-in-law Loredana for her assistance. It was incredible to witness how the man that had provided so much for his family, never asking for any gratitude in return, was able to embrace the love demonstrated by his wife and daughter-in-law to propel him past all the expert opinions and live well beyond their projections. It again is a testament to his character and spirt that shall never die.
Rest now my dear father for you have earned every accolade and
deserve some peace to conclude a life filled with many struggles.
Forever in my thoughts, your legacy will live on and I thank you for everything. TI AMO CARO PA!
Love always,
Your son
Our sincere condolences our thoughts and prayers are with you
Tony and Mary Valvano
Our deepest condolences to you and your family. Franco will be deeply missed. Our thoughts and prayers are with you during this difficult time.
Our deepest condolences Angelo and Tanina Casarella
My condolences Filomenna Gentile
Our condolences to your family. May the wonderful memories you shared live forever in your hearts. Rest In Peace.