Hobbies & Interests




Hunting

Francis having fun on one of his many hunting trips.

Francis was an avid hunter who would go every possible season, as he had an affinity for the outdoors. Each year he would go with his close friend Jack Robinson, who would often bring his son, both of whom he would never fail to share a kind word about. One of the bucks that he shot still hangs in his garage, and was a source of pride in his home. When his beloved friend Jack passed, his hunting trips all but stopped as he could never see it as the same without him. I am sure the two of them are up there eyeing up deer left and right, and are having a good laugh while doing it.

Francis having fun on one of his many hunting trips.

Francis placing flags in honor of his fallen servicemen.

VFW

Francis placing flags in honor of his fallen servicemen.

Another of his hobbies was spending time at the local Doylestown VFW which he was a part of. He would often participate in any event they were having that he could make it to, as he loved giving back to those who gave a part of them for the country he loved. Going to meetings and getting to meet people who served in the same capacity he did was something he thoroughly enjoyed, as his contributions to the country were of great importance to him. He belonged to various different VFW organizations throughout his retirement years, but the location did not matter as much as the desire to give back and make a difference in the communities he lived within.

Fitness & Exercise

Francis playing football with friends.

Francis was an avid advocate of exercise, which he would do in some capacity every day. He lifted weights when he could, even at 82 years old, and would always stress the importance of being active to the rest of his family. Sports were something he grew up playing, as athletics came naturally to him. Baseball and football were his two games of choice, with him often playing with the fellow neighborhood guys from around his block. He also loved to run when he was younger and in the service, as he would always proudly say how he would run 6 miles a day around the Willow Grove Air Base. I’ve been told by a few of the women he served with that they would wait for his daily run and watch him excitedly, as he was quite the looker. The running turned to walking as he got older, but he loved to go with his family whenever possible. Some of the best times I personally got to spend with him were the walks we would go on around the local parks, and he would regale everything about the last 200 years of history that he knew.

Francis playing football with friends.


Francis looking out at the lake from his trailer's deck.

Beach Lover

Francis looking out at the lake from his trailer's deck.

During the spring and summer seasons, Francis would spend time at his trailer in Marmora, where he loved to relax by the lake. He loved to socialize with those around him, making fast friends with the fellow members of Bayberry Cove, the community which he called home. Whether it was going to the beach, sitting out by the lake, or having a few people over for drinks, it was his own personal happy place. He would often be found outside raking the seaweed that washed up on his end of the lakeshore, as he was absolutely meticulous when it came to how his property was kept. One of our families enduring memories of him there was when a young child of one of the neighbors suddenly went underwater in the lake and failed to resurface. Without any hesitation, he lept off his deck and into the lake to save her. He made nothing of it, merely smiling and shrugging it off like it was no big deal. I know that if we were not there to personally witness it he would not have told a soul, as he was not one to boast. Even now, the memories of his time at Bayberry live on, as he is sorely missed by the community.

History Buff

VE-Day in Philadelphia, 1945 - A scene Francis remembered well.

Another of his passions briefly mentioned above was his love of history. He watched documentaries on and read mostly about United States history, but found the World Wars fascinating from a global perspective. He loved his Italian heritage and treasured the history that had been passed down from his parents who originated from Sicily. He was born in 1939 during the onset of the second world war, and would often note just how vividly he remembered V-E day despite how young he was, as the people flooding the street and cheering in Philadelphia was something he would never forget. I always found myself excelling in my high school history classes, as it was all just review from the hours of walking and talking with my Grandfather.

VE-Day in Philadelphia, 1945 - A scene Francis remembered well.

Francis enjoying his daughter's television.

Film Fan

Francis enjoying his daughter's television.

Aside from documentaries, Francis loved the so-called Spaghetti Westerns, and film in general. He could, and often would, sit and watch movies all day even though many of them he had seen no less than 15 times. He would often quip that he could play all, or at least a few of the parts in each movie, as we all knew how much he loved to watch the same movies time and time again. Anytime any of us would stop by his house, we were sure to find him sitting in front of his TV with the volume blaring and Clint Eastwood on the screen. Some of his favorites included Waterworld, The Godfather trilogy, the Rocky anthology, Judge Dredd, and Burlesque. Of course, his all time favorite had to be The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, as he would watch it any time he saw it was on.

Meatball Maestro

Learning the family secret from the master.

One of the things he was most well known for were his absolutely outstanding meatballs. Family, friends, and anyone who was around him for any length of time would undoubtably encounter his famed family recipe, one which he took great pride in. Our family always felt he had a magic hand, as his was the only one who could ever make the recipe the proper way. His affinity for cooking extended into other dishes as well, as his meatloaf, oatmeal, and breakfast sandwiches were all staples of the family pallet. Food wasn’t all however, as he also was renowned for making his own drinks, particularly his sangria and eggnog. His time as a maître d” certainly helped refine his culinary skill, as the kitchen was another place he truly loved to be.

Learning the family secret from the master.

Francis's favorite place to think - his rocking chair. (With a little friend!)

The Thinker

Francis's favorite place to think - his rocking chair. (With a little friend!)

One final hobby, if you could call it that, that defined him was his pension for thinking. Though obviously everyone thinks in some meaningful capacity, not everyone feels the need to contemplate so strongly that they get up and pace around the front yard in the middle of pouring rain. We would often joke that he was in fact The Thinker, as he would sit poised in his rocking chair, rubbing his chin while deep in thought for hours. Quite often it was the case that someone had told him a small problem or concern they had, and he would mull over it for hours to see what he could do. I can remember no less than a dozen instances of him calling me at all hours of the night with a potential solution for something I had mentioned hours or even days ago, as if it bothered me, it bothered him too. The people he loved seemed to be what he thought of most, as it was always after one of these meditations that one of us would get a call or some kind of message.

Busy Man

Francis looking out at the grand canyon.

To say the least, Francis was a renaissance man who had an interest and passion for a multitude of things. He had seen the world and done it all, never failing to have some experience or knowledge about whatever interest or topic you came to him with. To try and list each and everything he was interested in or made a habit out of would constitute an entire website of its own, as he truly got as much out of his life as possible. His storytelling of his experiences was one of his greatest attributes, as he would enthrall and fascinate anyone who listened, with stories ranging from hilarious to poignant. Never failing to be in the moment and no matter what the activity, he brought a passion and air of fun to everything he did, and made those around him better for it.

Francis looking out at the grand canyon.