Frank D. Rizzo, 89, of Paramus, formerly of Emerson, passed away peacefully surrounded by his family on Saturday, May 30, 2015.
Born December 4, 1925 in Hoboken to Italian immigrant parents Angelo and Carmella Rizzo, Frank was a self-made man. He lived his earliest years through America’s Great Depression and continued to defy the odds throughout his long and full life. He survived World War II as a United States Army Ranger stationed in Italy, overcame Hodgkins disease in 1980, and recovered from a serious auto accident in 2005 that claimed the life of his wife of 53 years and best friend, Madeline (nee Bottichio).
In his childhood home, Frank’s first language was Italian, and he learned English when he became school-aged, ahead of brother Johnny and sister Nancy, both of whom pre-deceased him. He attended Demarest (now Hoboken) High School, joined the Army, finished high school after the war and attended Fordham University (Class of 1951) as an undergraduate and New York University graduate school. He embarked on a career as an analyst and later started his own firm, Forms Management Services (FMS).
On June 15, 1952, Frank and Madeline were wed, and produced six children. Frank is survived by Charles (and Elizabeth) Rizzo, Pamela (and Robert) Hopper, Frank (and Margaret) Rizzo, Michele (and Gary) Mascolo, Madeline (and Steven) Savas, Joseph (and Deborah) Rizzo, 26 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. He was brother-in-law to Al and Marie (nee Bottichio) DeBenedictis and uncle to Gregory and Lauren DeBenedictis of St. Charles, Ill.
In Emerson, Frank served on the town council and as the Commissioner of the Fire Department. He was a governor at the Downtown Athletic Club, a Heisman Trophy Committee participant, and a member of the Westwood UNICO and Emerson Knights of Columbus. He was a member of the Emerson Golf and Country Club and later Rockland Country Club.
He was beloved as a son, brother, husband, father, grandfather, uncle and dear friend.
A Funeral Mass will be celebrated Tuesday 10:00 AM at Our Lady of the Visitation RC Church, Paramus with entombment to follow at Garden of Memories, Washington Twp., NJ. Visiting hours are Monday 2-9 PM at Pizzi Funeral Home, 120 Paris Avenue, Northvale.
Those who wish may make donations to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, www.mskcc.org, in Frank’s memory.