Frank J. Zietowski, Jr., the self-proclaimed “luckiest man in the world,” passed from this life on Monday, May 29th, 2023, at age 91. Born in 1932, Frank grew up in Stratford, CT and graduated from Stratford High School in 1950. In 1954, he met his sweetheart, the love of his life, and his wife of 65years, Joan Francescone, in New York City, and never looked back. He adored Joan and credited her (and his left-handedness) as the reason for everything he achieved in life. Frank proudly served in the U.S. Army on the island of Okinawa from 1955-1957. Frank and Joan lived in Stratford, and later Trumbull, and Shelton, CT for most of their lives, before moving to Londonderry, NH to be closer to family.
Son of the late Frank J. Zietowski, Sr., and Mae Ignatowski Zietowski, Frank was predeceased by his sister, Theresa Zietowski Ontko. He is survived by his wife, Joan, his children Susan (and Anthony) Matrumalo, David (and Gretchen) Zietowski, and Janet (and Paul) Reynolds. He had eleven cherished grandchildren: Christopher (Kristin), Anthony (Lindsay), Sarah (Roel) Gyasi, Emily, and Vincent Matrumalo; Maes, Joseph, and Jenna Zietowski; Joshua, Benjamin, and Nathaniel Reynolds; and eight great-grandchildren: Amadora, Kalaia and Lincoln Coraccio, Sawyer and Lyla Matrumalo, Matteo Matrumalo, and Elijah and Benjamin Gyasi. Frank’s children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren brought him immense joy. He was so very proud of each and every one of them.
When Frank graduated from Stratford High School, and college was financially unattainable for him, he took a job in the mailroom of a tool and die shop in Bridgeport and applied for an apprenticeship in tool and die design. Through hard work and his extraordinary drive and intelligence, he worked his way up to the position of Chief Engineer and spent the bulk of his career at the Fairfield Tool Company/Connecticut Fineblanking Corp in Bridgeport and Shelton, CT, working at a job he absolutely loved. His perfectionism and precision were legendary, and he often recounted how the difference of 1/32 of an inch could be a million-dollar error.
Frank was truly a self-made man. He remembered growing up with only two shirts to his name, and a weekly bath in the washtub on Saturday nights. The boy who “couldn’t even afford to dream” about life beyond Stratford went on to enjoy an amazing life, providing a good home and education for his children, and traveling extensively around the world with Joan. He was fascinated by the world around him, and enjoyed conversation with all types of people, and learning about them, their lives, and their families. He always wanted to know how things worked and remained curious until his dying day. Frank could build and fix anything, most often with creativity and an eye for practicality and beauty.
Frank’s love for cars and airplanes began as a child and never wavered. He could instantly name the make, model, and year of every car he saw. He loved car shows and air shows. One of his favorite memories was the open- cockpit biplane ride he had for his 85th birthday with his granddaughter and “co-pilot” Sarah. Frank left a legacy of love and ended every chance meeting with a cheerful affirmation to “Enjoy everything!” He was a true original who always looked forward to the future, never looked back, and never had regrets. The family thanks all of the caregivers and healthcare professionals - “his angels” - who attended to him over the final year of his life.
Friends and family are warmly invited to visit on Sunday, June 4, from 3-5p.m. at the Peabody Funeral Home, 290 Mammoth Road, Londonderry, NH. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Monday, June 5, at 10:30 a.m. at St. Mark the Evangelist Church, 1 South Road, Londonderry, followed by burial at Forest Hill Cemetery in Derry. Memorial donations may be made to https://www.End68HoursofHunger.org , with notation as tribute gifts to Frank Zietowski in the memo.