WESTBROOK- Francis George Gildea, Jr. -- Frank, Franky G, Dad, and Pop Pop -- died on Tuesday, March 25, 2025, surrounded by the love of his family. He will be remembered by the music he played, the plants he helped grow, and his immeasurable love for his children.
Frank was born on January 14, 1956 to Francis G. and Ruth (Morton) Gildea in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania. He attended Milton Hershey High School, and enlisted in the United States Army after graduating in 1973 and served for 7 years. He later joined Pennsylvania Army National Guard, 109th Field Artillery, and entered the officer candidate school, and retired with the rank of Captain in 1997. He was a proud Penn State University alum, and went on to become an electrical engineering technician at the Philadelphia Electric Company (later Peach Bottom/PECO/Exelon) where he worked for over 30 years, retiring in 2016. While at Penn State, he met Lisa Wootton, who he married in 1984. They put down roots in Red Lion, Pennsylvania, where they raised their three daughters. Frank’s love of music filled the family’s home, and he encouraged every creative whim of each of his children. His musical talent lives on in his daughters and his grandchild, for each of whom he bought their first guitar and taught their first chords.
He could fix or build almost anything, and instilled this spirit in his children. He built playhouses and sunrooms, tiled floors and repaired windows. He restored tube amplifiers and rewired electrical circuits. He taught his daughters how to swing a hammer and change a car tire, how to pitch a tent and tie a fish hook. He believed that if you could do it yourself, then you should. He was a passionate musician, and through music he found his people. He was a humble but enthusiastic performer, creating and joining bands wherever he went.
He moved to South Portland, Maine when his first grandchild was born in 2018, where he rediscovered his love of the forests and rugged coast. He bought himself a kayak and a mountain bike, and spent nearly every weekend exploring the mountains, rivers, and lakes of his new home state. Every spring, he looked forward to garden planning, and growing more tomatoes than he could possibly eat. His generosity of spirit shone wherever he went. There wasn’t an animal we wouldn’t befriend, or a friend in need he wouldn’t help. He was kind, creative and resourceful. He moved to Westbrook with his eldest daughter and her family in 2022, where they worked to restore their 200-year-old home.
Frank is survived by his three daughters, Jessica, Rebecca, and Erin; his grandchild, Ellis, and his cat Roosevelt, as well as his brothers Kevin, John, and Patrick. He is buried at Cedar Brook Burial Ground in Limington, Maine. Memorial gifts can be made to Habitat for Humanity of Greater Portland (Maine).
Arrangements have been entrusted to Poitras Funeral Homes, www.mainefuneral.com
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