Rudolph V. (Valentino) Frongello, a long-time resident of Medford, passed away on July 25 at the age of 97. The son of Ernest and Mary (Purificato) Frongello, he was the last surviving sibling among nine children, including Joseph, Ronald and Robert Frongello, Dorothy Bereszniewicz, Esther Shedd, Gloria Adams, Fran London and Susan Hart.
Rudy worked in the retail tire business for more than forty years, and his friendly manner made him equally popular with co-workers, vendors, and customers. But family was the true focus of his life. Rudy was the beloved husband of the late Mary Frongello, with whom he shared 56 years of marriage. He was the devoted father of Paula Pashko and her late husband Gregory of Bedford, Joan Krensky and her husband Stephen of Lexington, Robert Frongello and his wife Kathryn of Clifton, VA and Mary Graham and her husband Scott of Reading. He was immensely proud of his eight grandchildren –– Andrew and Peter Krensky, Corey, David and Daniel Graham, and Ashley, Brian and Michael Frongello –– and spoke often of their accomplishments. He was also delighted to live long enough to know his great grandsons Davis, Logan, Alex and Roman. And beyond that, he was a favorite Uncle Rudy to dozens of nieces and nephews.
In his spare time. Rudy loved working with his hands. He was a particularly skilled woodworker, which was perhaps not so surprising for the son of a professional furniture maker. Among his passions for years was following the Red Sox and the Patriots. Rudy didn’t leave town often, but he enjoyed taking annual trips to Las Vegas with Mary. In later years, there were also many successful (and occasionally profitable) outings to Foxwoods and Twin Rivers with his sister Dot and her husband Wally Bereszniewicz, who was also his best friend.
Relatives & friends are invited to attend his funeral from the Breslin Funeral Home, 610 Pleasant St., Malden on Friday August 2nd at 9 AM followed by his Funeral Mass celebrated at Immaculate Conception Church, 600 Pleasant St., Malden at 10 AM. Services on Friday will conclude with interment in Oak Grove Cemetery in Medford. Visiting hours will be held at the funeral home on Thursday August 1st from 4-7 PM.
Rudy fondly remembered a summer camp program he had been lucky enough to attend as a boy, and so, in lieu of flowers, donations in Rudy’s memory may be made to Camp Harbor View (www.campharborview.org), which offers a free Boston summer camp for over 1,000 Boston children among other services.