Frank J. Scarangello: September 10, 1942 – August 6, 2023 by Marie Wolf
The death of a parent is akin to a steaming locomotive. A great juggernaut, it always looms in the distance, yet no one is ever truly prepared for its arrival.
Hours after writing his last blog, Frank arrived at his proverbial “front of the line,” passing away in his home. He was alone. He fiercely (and perhaps foolishly) clutched his independence with both hands. I didn’t have the heart to take that away from him.
He didn’t linger like my mother did. He didn’t want to go like that.
In the end, he lived and died on his own terms. At the end of days, isn’t that what we all want?
I wanted to thank his avid readers. After my mother’s passing, you gave him an outlet, a community and a reason to go on. We never really get to know our parents, but I learned about my dad along with you, within this blog as well as the pages of his books.
I’m no religious zealot, but I hope my staunch Atheist dad was proven wrong. I hope everyone he ever loved and lost ran to him with open arms, in a place too beautiful for mere mortals to fathom.
Dad: Maybe I will see you on the other side. Maybe I won’t. But I will miss you for the rest of my life.
A celebration of life will be held in his honor at a later date, in Pasco County, Florida.
toritto 
I’m so sorry ❤️
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Heartfelt and written by a loving daughter.
Your love is clearly and succinctly stated.
I’m so sorry for your loss. Truly.
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My condolences. I have followed your father’s blog for years.
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Your words are beautiful and moving. Thank you for sharing!
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Your dad made an impact on people he never even met. I am one of those people. I will never forget him.
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Very well written. He was great man, very wise, very kind, and full of love.
He shall be missed.
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Your dad was a lovely man.
We were internet writing buddies and met up in real time once, on a family holiday. to Florida. It was a great afternoon, pre-Clark days and our boys (then aged 11 and 15 ) gave him honorary grandpa status from the get go. We all remember Frank fondly.
Condolences to you and your family.
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Your Dad’s impact on me as you might expect was life long. The first time I met him he came to the house in Brooklyn to date your Mom. No one else in the immediate family had a college education and I instantly connected with him. I was still a kid in elementary school but I knew I wanted to follow those footsteps, except years later when he took a look through one of my calculus text books he told me how he would avoid such courses like the plague. I had a different major. While he was away in the army I remember all the interesting souvenirs and things he sent back. I still have a Haile Selassie dollar somewhere. I learned a lot more about his time in the horn of Africa by following these posts. I’ll never forget the time I visited the house in Rhode Island on the way to a business trip to Mass. and he took me on a tour of the mansions in Newport. All these marble monstrosities built during the gilded age. He mentioned how families like the Vanderbilts would spend their summers and to imagine the kids running around and playing. The homes in Staten Island, New Jersey, Maryland. I believe I got to visit everyone except the house in N. Carolina. The need and importance to go where the job is was something I ended up following as well when I headed for the deserts of New Mexico. When we thought we would return to Florida he opened his home to me and helped get us situated. The week I spent there we sat on the back porch enjoying my cigars while debating all the hot topics. I was always more amiable but we were mostly on the same page. I helped fill in the blanks when I thought he needed technical advice. Unfortunately we learned the hard way that Florida was no longer for us but I was glad I was still able to keep in touch here and share a lot of our sentiments up until the last day. Our love to you and all in Florida.
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Frank was one of my best friends I had never met. His writing talent was incredible, his sense of history and political views impeccable, and his love for his family will last forever. I am so sad, so very sad to read this.
I thank you for letting us know at a difficult time, and send everyone in the family my deepest condolences from a village in England.
Your dad touched my heart, and I am proud to count him as one of my friends.
Sincerely, Pete.
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May he rest in peace and may you and the rest of his family remember him for all the good reasons.
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I am so very sorry for your loss. You will miss him for the rest of your life, but you will smile when you recall the good times and the love.
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Sad news indeed…
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Such sad news. Frank was a beautiful man. I am so sorry for your loss!
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I am so sorry for your loss. Please leave this blog intact, if you can. Frank’s history is truly important to treasure and save. I followed since he began and truly treasured his insights.
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Beautifully written, Marie! I’m so sorry for your loss.
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Your description of the Juggernaut is so accurate. There that day you dread all your life. The only comfort I found was the inevitability of it and knowing that it was a life well lived. So many do not get to the end the way they would like, so there has to be much comfort in that. Your Dad appears to have touched many people and they are all saddened by your loss. I add my sympathy and wish you peace.
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Oh, Marie….my heart goes out to you and your wonderful family. Frank was far more than a blogger, he was a friend. He was one of my first bloggers, and I became a part of your family. I learned about Brooklyn, relatives, the Catholic Church, epilepsy, public school, the Army, and much more. The blessed thing about your mom’s death is that Frank wrote about his family and his life, and through his blog you learned more about your dad. I think that is wonderful! I often told Frank that he should have been a history teacher. He was more than smart, he was wise. He was a gift. Now he is with your mom, at last.
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Sorry to hear this news
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I’m so sorry for your loss. I have enjoyed Frank’s stories for a couple of years now. I found them while searching Toritto (my husband’s family’s home town) and was hooked after a few posts. He once posted a photo of an unknown man who just happened to be my husband’s great grandfather. It’s the best photo we have of him. I feel I know your family though his words. I hope you leave his posts up as it’s nice to reread them now and again.
Cheers to Frank! Thank you for sharing your thoughts.
Wendi B
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I loved following your dad. His political rants sustained me in very challenging insane times over the past few years. I loved knowing that not everyone in Florida was a de Santis Trump follower. My love especially to your little boy who Frank loved dearly and posted pictures of all the time.
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Thank you for letting me and everyone know about your father’s passing. Your opening remarks about the passing of a parent is right on the mark. I will miss him and this blog. My best wishes to you and your family. I feel like I lost a friend today. In fact I have.
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Marie, thank you so much for writing to us! I’m so sorry for your personal loss and will miss your father’s blog posts. Take care!
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My condolences to all. I enjoyed Frank’s blog immensely for quite a few years. I was going to be in Florida this October and was hoping to meet your dad in person. I thought he was a brilliant writer with so much insight. I’m sad that we never got to have an in depth discussion regarding our genealogy. We are distant cousins, or not, through marriage. I never did get it straight. Thinking of Frank, his family and the lives he touched, like mine, at his passing.
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Greetings Frank!
Greetings like puffy white clouds of gratitude billowing out from my window in Chicago, swirling south towards Florida and joining in with voices from around the world in simply saying “thank you Frank.”
I picture your grin. Feel the laughter in your eyes. And I learn the wisdom from a brother just a few steps ahead of me in walking down life’s road.
Chicago Guy—And friend of Frank
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Just saw this, after “dropping back in” to visit Frank after a long absence. So sorry about your dad’s passing. I lost mine in 2006 (he went peacefully, suddenly). What a shock it was. I still think of him daily.
I never met Frank, but he was one of the most intelligent and earnest folks I’ve come across on social media. I didn’t always agree with him, but I stopped visiting his site only because I was as disgusted as him with events in the U.S. and needed distancing from all things political. But it was obvious to me that he totally loved his family.
I’m agnostic, so I’ll just say, wherever he is in this cosmos, he’s at peace and undoubtedly smiling. Peace to you all.
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