Francis X Calderaro

We called him Frankie, Pop-Pop, Mr. C, Uncle Frankie and Dad. Many people called him Captain Calderaro. He was smart and funny. He was the life of the party. He loved to dance and as a dad, he was the fun guy. He drove with his feet on the dashboard on the way home from church. And he loved to fly.

He was the youngest of three children, born in Brooklyn, New York to Italian parents. He graduated from Jonathan Dayton High School in Springfield, NJ where he played football and was a very popular guy, good looking too. He went on to Rutgers University, where he kept playing football and wrestled with his brother Charlie. He was ROTC for the United States Air Force. 

Upon graduation, Frankie went into the Air Force and trained in Texas. He came back home to marry a local sweetheart, Cecille Grate, who he called Sis. Together they raised five children and relocated to Florida, Ohio and ultimately back to New Jersey. United Airlines was hiring after many slow years and Frankie left the Air Force to Fly the Friendly Skies in 1959. In his career he was a union representative for the New York domicile, as well as being named Captain of the Year. He also was fortunate to be one of the first pilots to fly international routes for United Airlines.

He loved his job. He told everyone that he had the best job in the world. One summer Frankie asked Sis to move to Holland for the summer as United sold a bunch of Caravelle airplanes to the Dutch airline, Transavia, and they needed pilots. She went…..with all five kids! 

Frankie often missed holidays and was away for days at a time, but Sis held down the fort at home. Raising five kids that were social and active was exciting, to say the least. He would come home to kids and friends in and out of the house all the time and he had memorable experiences with everyone. He was a jokester.

After raising his own brood, he really made a hit with his grandkids. He was the master of rhymes, and he could put a rhyming poem together in minutes. He has passed this gift on to a few of the grandchildren. Up until about a month ago, he could still recite the poem he wrote for Cecille for their 50th wedding anniversary in 2005. He could also recite the check list for the 727 that he flew over 35 years ago!

He had 14 grandkids, and he practiced their names in order so as not to ever forget. He sang silly and kind of inappropriate songs, which made Mom-Mom crazy, and his grandkids still sing them to this day. He enlisted everyone’s help with crossword puzzles, and he taught them how to play rummy, and how to peel an orange in one peel. There are countless memories that these guys will carry on forever.

Frankie retired from United Airlines at the peak of the industry as a 747 and DC10 Captain, at the age of 60. He wasn’t ready to stop flying, so he went on to fly for a non-profit company called Orbis, gratis. Orbis fitted up a United 727 airplane to be an operating room. United also kept Captain Calderaro current with all regulations, and he flew all over the world teaching doctors to restore sight to people in developing countries. He came home with amazing stories of these adventures in India, Bangladesh, China and beyond.

While owning a house on Long Beach Island, Frank also tried his hand at boating, as he thought if he could fly, he could float too. He was a much better pilot, as he made Sis very nervous boating near Barnegat Light! 

In the meantime, he also had his own little fleet of one airplane. He owned a few over the years, and he flew his family around the northeast. Sis had to learn how to land the plane in the event of an emergency. One day, somehow, he knew it was time to stop flying. To use his own analogy, he was dealt an unlucky hand, but he was very happy with the life he lived.

His memory was challenged in these final years, which he called CRS (Can’t Remember S**t), but he still beat us all at Continental Rummy right up until his final days! We were always amazed, and it always pissed us off!

So, this is a man we will never forget. A benefit from the last few years is that we’ve heard each of Pop-Pop’s stories so many times that we will always be able to recount them in detail. We will always tell his stories and laugh a lot. 

Rest in Peace. We love you.

Frankie is survived by his wife Cecille, of almost 70 years, five children, Frank Calderaro and his wife Lisa, Sue Bee and her husband Jim, Christy Mayer and her husband Bill, Craig Calderaro, and Patti Hausherr and her husband Michael. Frankie was also the cherished Pop-Pop of 14 grandchildren, Marc, Jenna, Beth, Carly, Sara, Jeff, Laura, Nikki, Zack, Dewy, Katie, Julie and Nina. He was predeceased by his brother Charlie, his sister Nettie and his grandson Anthony. He is survived by 7 great-grandchildren.

A memorial visitation will be held from 4-7 PM on Wednesday, June 12, 2024 at the Bridgewater Funeral Home, 707 E. Main Street, Bridgewater, NJ 08807. 

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to:

The Anthony Calderaro Memorial Fund @ 1753 Woodfield Road, Martinsville, NJ 08836.

And finally, a heartfelt thank you to VNA Health Group – Hospice Care Services for the incredible care and dedication to their profession. If you ever want to meet a hero or an angel, watch a hospice professional at work. Special thanks to Fiona, Kate, Jean, George, Royce and Mark. Your compassion towards my father was unmatched.

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