Members across the Cleveland District met on Sunday, July 17th to celebrate our old-fashioned picnic. We honored a very special individual that day for a lifetime of giving to his family, to the ISDA, to his church and to the Italian American Community in Cleveland. Joe Frank was given a Lifetime Achievement Award. National President Basil Russo was on hand to make the presentation. Basil and Joe have worked closely together for many years.
Joe would be the first one to tell you that he wasn’t always Italian. That began in 1958 when he met and married his soulmate, Marie Brescia.
Family comes first for Joe and Marie. They have raised four wonderful children and enjoy the blessing of eight grandchildren.
But family isn’t always related by blood or marriage. The members of the Italian Sons & Daughters of America across the country feel like family and are treated like family by Joe and Marie. Joe was President of the University Lodge #192 for over 50 years, retiring just this year in May. University is the largest lodge in the Cleveland District with more than 600 members. The Cleveland District is made up of several lodges and Joe was the President of Cleveland District Council for over 20 years. He oversaw bocce leagues, bowling leagues, parades, fundraisers, debutante balls and scholarships.
Joe and Marie are lifetime members of Holy Rosary Parish in Cleveland, Ohio’s Little Italy. They have volunteered in almost every ministry at the church and are very involved in the Feast of the Assumption festival every year. Joe and Marie were honored in 2016 by the City of Cleveland Italian American Heritage Month Committee. During the inaugural year of the South Euclid Hometown Heroes, Joe and Marie were honored. The goal of Hometown Heroes is to honor those individuals, who, through their efforts over many years, make the South Euclid community a better place to live.
CONGRATULATIONS!
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