Funeral on Thursday, July 14, 2016 at 9am from the Joseph Russo Funeral Home, 814 American Legion Hwy (near Cummins Hwy), Roslindale, followed by a Funeral Mass at Sacred Heart Church, 169 Cummins Highway, Roslindale, at 10am. Relatives and friends are invited to attend Visiting Hours on Wednesday, July 13, 2016 from 4-8pm.
Frank J. Rando of Dedham and Yarmouth, MA, and Fort Lauderdale, FL, passed away July 10, 2016. He was the beloved husband of the late Ruby Ann (Peck) for 46 years, and leaves behind his children, Diana L. Hampe and her husband Kevin of Dedham, Joanne Crisp and her husband Robert of Dedham, Joseph P. Rando and his wife Donna of Dedham, Lois McManus of Dedham, and Linda Rando and her fiancé Jeff Anthony of Osprey, FL, his dear “sweetheart” Norma Finnell of Waltham, his brother Robert V. Rando and his wife Frances of Stoneham, his grandchildren Julie Ryan and her husband Seamus of Hingham, Keith Hampe and his wife Laura of Dedham, Jeffrey Crisp and his wife Elena of Natick, Mark Rando and his wife Faith of Mansfield, Scott Hampe and his wife Kara of Dedham, Michelle Hakes and her husband David of Steep Falls, ME, Jennifer Persechini and her husband Craig of Walpole, Christopher McManus of Dorchester, and Brendan McManus of Dedham, and great grandchildren, J. Conall Ryan, P. Owen Ryan, Colton Crisp, Meredith Rando, and Baby Hampe (August), and Baby Hakes (December).
Frank was the son of Joseph Rando who at age 13 traveled from Sicily to live with his maternal grandparents in Canton, MA, and Angelina (Fasano) Rando who came from Calabria with her mother and siblings after losing her father in a fireworks explosion. He first lived on Connell Street in Roslindale near cousins on his mother’s side and then on Charme Ave in Roslindale near his father’s brother Vincent. There, he developed life-long friendships with cousins and friends from both neighborhoods.
Frank graduated from Roslindale High School in 1943. A passionate athlete from a young age, Frank played football, hockey, and baseball during high school, college, and beyond.
In 1939 he made a scorebook with all of the Neponset Coyotes box scores and other baseball stats, and he told countless stories of how he walked to play ball at Billings Field, made it home for Sunday dinner, back to play ball at Healy Field, and then walked to practice hockey on Muddy Pond. In 1943 he was playing baseball at Healy Field when a scout asked him to try out for the Pittsburgh Pirates. After Frank “shagged balls and knocked balls all around the park” on Braves Field, manager Frankie Frisch said, “sign him!” The next week his father brought him to South Station for his trip to Hornel, NY, where he suited up to play for the Pirates the following night. In 1944 he was traded to the Boston Red Sox and played in Middletown, OH.
Frank served in the U.S. Navy in1945 and 1946, working in Saipan and Guam installing telephone lines. After being discharged, he spent four days hitching a ride home from San Francisco.
Back at home, Frank returned to play baseball in the Boston Park League which is where Herb Gallagher, who made it possible for him to attend Northeastern University, noticed him. Frank played football for one year, and hockey and baseball for three at Northeastern. His two summers in the Minors caught up to him, so he became the freshman hockey and baseball coach in his senior year. After graduating in 1951, he expressed his loyalty and gratitude to Northeastern in countless ways. Frank was Alumni President of his class from 1956-61, President of Northeastern Varsity Club from 1960-62, President of Northeastern Alumni Association in 1967 and 1968, and founded “Friends of NU Baseball”. In addition, he proudly supported many who applied for admission. He remained a fan of all NU sports and attended football, hockey, and baseball games with his good friends Tinker Connelly, Bunny Solomon, George Makris, and others. Frank was inducted into the Northeastern Hall of Fame Class of 1976 for baseball and hockey, and received Northeastern’s 75th Anniversary Outstanding Alumni Award in 1973.
Frank watched many Boston Park League games with his good friend Tinker Connelly, and he was inducted into the Boston Park League Hall of Fame in 1986.
Throughout his life, Frank contributed to the community of Dedham as a coach of Dedham Little League teams, a founding member of Dedham Youth Hockey, and as president of the Oakdale PTA, where he recruited Ronald Pacella and others to clear land and make the school’s playing fields.
After graduating from Northeastern, he became a petroleum salesman for Bonded Oil, Northeast Petroleum, and finally Casey Petroleum before reluctantly retiring at age 76. Over the years, Frank created strong ties with contactors, was passionate about his product and customer service, and was proud to have contributed to building Route 128. Frank was a member of UCANE and CIM, and was honored with UCANE’s “Associate Member of the Year” award in 1999 and a Fleet Maintenance Association “Man of the Year” award.
Proud of his Italian heritage, Frank became a member of Dedham’s Italian American Club and was fortunate to spend time in Italy with family and friends.
Frank J. Rando may be remembered through Northeastern University Baseball c/o Northeastern University Development Office, 118 Cushing Hall, 360 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA 02115-9877, or via Northeastern’s Online Giving page (add “Baseball Club in Memory of Frank J. Rando” and the designation number “300213” in the “Special Instructions” section). Entombment St Michael Cemetery Roslindale, Directions and Guest Book at www.josephrussofuneralhome.com