Franklyn John Aloia Sr.'s Obituary
On August 9, 2021, the dear Lord called home his faithful servant, Franklyn John Aloia. Frank was born on July 24, 1936, in Cranford, Union County, New Jersey, the eldest of four children of Patsy J. Aloia and Elvira (Falcone) Aloia. Frank graduated from Scotch Plains Fanwood High School in 1954, where he played several sports and where he sang in quartets knowns as “The Four Peppers” and “The Blazers”. As Frank was graduating high school, and after the family had vacationed in Southwest Florida many times during his youth, his parents announced their decision to permanently relocate to Fort Myers, Florida, and Frank decided to attend college in Florida, enrolling at Florida Southern College, in Lakeland, Florida, where he was a member of Lamba Chi Alpha Fraternity. When Frank was on breaks from college, he would return to Fort Myers to work for his father’s construction company, and at his parents’ motel, “The Aloia Motel”, which Frank helped construct, formerly located at 3715 Cleveland Avenue, Fort Myers. Frank graduated from Florida Southern College in 1959 and decided to attend law school and was admitted to Stetson University College of Law in St. Petersburg, Florida, in 1961. Shortly after enrolling in law school, and with the escalation of the United States’ conflict in Korea, Frank left law school to enlist in the US Army, where he honorably served his country for three years, the last of which was as the executive aide to one of the commanding generals at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida. Although his military career was on a positive trajectory, his calling to be an attorney was too strong, and he left the Army at the conclusion of his commitment and re-enrolled at Stetson College of Law, graduating in 1966 as the first person to ever receive a juris doctorate degree from Stetson. His fellow ’66 Stetson Law graduates, Melvyn “Mel” Trute, and Stephen Schwarz remained dear friends throughout his life. Upon Frank’s graduation from law school, he re-joined his family in Fort Myers to begin his legal career, first as an associate attorney with the Law Offices of Walter O. Sheppard, Jr., whose mentorship he always cherished. As his legal career was budding, his law school friend and Fort Myers native, Joseph P. D’Alessandro, encouraged Frank to meet his cousin, Lauren J. Miller, who was a teller at Lee County Bank, as well as the bank’s marketing model. Thereafter, Frank began performing all sorts of banking transactions at Lee County Bank, but it was his brother Pat’s sister-in-law, Lalai (Sapp) Hamric, that finally got Frank and Lauren together. After a whirlwind nine-month courtship, they were married on December 2, 1967, at St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church.
Always desiring to be his own boss, in 1968, Frank left Walter Sheppard’s firm to join with Joseph C. Adderly, Esq., and Fred R. Dudley, Esq., to create the first ever law firm located in Cape Coral, “Adderly, Aloia & Dudley, PA”. Frank’s father constructed the professional building at which the law firm was located at what is now known as 1714 Cape Coral Parkway East, Cape Coral, and that stands to this day. After the untimely death of Joe Adderly, Richard “Dick” Roosa joined the firm, which then became “Aloia, Dudley & Roosa, PA”. In addition to his private legal practice, Frank served as the Municipal Judge for the City of Cape Coral for several years. When the Florida Legislature adopted the circuit court judicial system in 1972, Frank was offered a Circuit Court Judgeship position, but declined same to focus solely on providing professional services to his clients. Over the next many years, and as the firm grew, Frank was blessed to have law partners (in addition to Fred and Dick), whose friendship and collegiality he always cherished, including Larry D. Sutton and Michael B. McIver. As his children were all approaching adulthood, Frank left the law firm to become a solo practitioner, at which time Lauren became his receptionist and bookkeeper. Both at the law firm, and during his solo practice, Frank also always cherished the loyalty and dedication of Debbie Brown, his paralegal for nearly 30 years. However, Frank’s love of the law was primarily due to the satisfaction he felt being able to help his clients. Frank was a perfectionist, and he would labor over drafts of contracts, wills and trusts, always looking for the perfect words to best protect his clients’ interests. After 51 years of serving his clients, Frank finally fully retired from the practice of law in 2016. Nevertheless, Frank continued to keep his legal mind active by guiding his son, Frank, Jr., and Frank, Jr.’s oldest law partner, Ty G. Roland, in their legal practice and helping them found Atlas Title of SW FL, Inc. Over the course of Frank, Jr.’s developing legal practice, Frank often marveled at the rapid changes in the practice of law, and the technology that now is integral to same, sometime wondering if all of the technology was truly for the betterment of the profession.
Frank’s love of the law was only surpassed by his love of God, his family, and (probably) golf. Frank was a founding parishioner of Church of the Resurrection of Our Lord Catholic Parish, and for nearly 45 years he worshiped and served God at this Church. He and Lauren served as Eucharistic Ministers for more than 20 years, and together they instilled in their children a love for, and a faith in, God and God’s loving plan. The family celebrated many milestones and sacraments at Church of the Resurrection, including graduations, confirmations, weddings, and when the grandchildren came along, Baptisms and Holy Communions. Frank cherished his friendships with Church of the Resurrection’s founding pastor, Reverend Monsignor Stephen E. McNamara, its Parochial Vicar, Father Oliver Toner, Deacon Michael Esper, and his so many fellow Eucharistic Ministers, including Bernie and Gina DeWolfe, and Connie Esper. As further commitment to his Roman Catholic faith, Frank also served as a member of the Knights of Columbus for many years. Frank and Lauren were married before God for more than 53 years and had three children together. Valuing their Catholic Faith and wanting to have their children be able to pray in school, they sent their kids to St. Francis Xavier Catholic School and to Bishop Verot Catholic High School, serving and supporting both schools over the years in many roles.
Lauren is part of a large Italian and pioneering family in Fort Myers, and during his courtship with Lauren, they lovingly adopted Frank as part of their family, because after all, he was Italian! Lauren often kiddingly lamented that her family loved Frank more than her. Frank often reminisced fondly of Monday night pasta night, where Lauren’s grandmother, Teresa (D’Alessandro) Pavese, and her mother, Frances (Pavese) Miller would cook for the whole family at the Millers’ house on Grace Avenue. However, no pasta sauce could match his mother’s sauce, so Lauren learned her mother-in-law’s recipe, which she has handed down to her daughter and daughters-in-law.
Together, Frank and Lauren raised their children; sons Frank, Jr. and Daniel, and daughter, Lori, in a loving and nurturing home, surrounded by extended family. The love of family was so vitally important to Frank, as he knew love and family were the foundation of all that is meaningful in life. Most especially, he loved and adored his wife Lauren, and would often tell his children that he would pray that they each would find a spouse that could bring each of them half of the joy and happiness that Lauren brought to him. They were best friends, soulmates, and they showed their children what love and marriage should be. He was so happy when each of his children found such love and happiness and dearly loved his daughters-in-law Nancy (Frank, Jr.) and Lorraine (Dan), and son-in-law, Frank Bonsignore. Admittedly, he was even happier when the grandchildren started coming, and from his heavenly perch he will watch over those seven grandchildren, Ava Lauren Aloia and Addison Grace Aloia (Frank, Jr. and Nancy), Nicole Abraham, Cason Jay Aloia and Colton Jay Aloia (Dan and Lorraine), and Siena Bonsignore and Roman Bonsignore (Lori and Frank).
Frank’s love of golf began when he was a teenager and employed as a caddy at a country club in New Jersey. He was always proud of the fact he won a caddy tournament in his youth, and it was these experiences that gave him the “golf bug” for the rest of his life. During his adult years in Fort Myers, and up to a few months before his passing, Frank played golf and the love of the game never diminished, nor did his love of the friendship and comradery of his golf buddies, including those of more than fifty years, Leonard Giles and Dennis Peterson. Frank was always giddy when it was time for his and his friends’ annual golf trip, and some of the home remedies he would employ to make sure his aging back could hold-up during an upcoming golf trip made Lauren and the kids laugh…a lot! At the time of his passing, Frank was a member at Fort Myers Country Club, Eastwood Country Club and Fiddlesticks Country Club.
Frank was predeceased by his parents, Patsy and Elvira Aloia, his in-laws, Carl F. Miller and Frances (Pavese) Miller, and his younger brother, Patrick “Pat” L. (Bonnie) Aloia. In addition to Lauren, their children/spouses, and their grandchildren, Frank is survived by his sister, Patricia (Aloia) Rockwell, and his brother, Robert “Bob” S. Aloia (Gladys). He is also survived Lauren’s five sisters Karen Wood (Ed), Carol Collier (Bob), Pam Edwards (Ronnie), Chris Middleton, and Cyndie Watterson. Also left to cherish his memory are his many nephews and nieces, Patrick “Chris” Aloia, Debbie Iamarino, Greg Rockwell, Nicole Bryant, Terry Gower, Jennifer Roberts, Ronald “Buddy” Edwards, Karla Bryant, Michael Edwards, Richard “Ricky” Middleton, Jr., Diane Napolitano, Thomas “TJ” Watterson, Jr., Amy Carlson, and Matthew Watterson, and many grand-nephews and grand-nieces. He dearly loved his family and extended family, and family gatherings for holidays, milestones, and reunions were always important to him and something he truly enjoyed.
The family will welcome extended family and friends at a visitation at Fort Myers Memorial Gardens, 1589 Colonial Boulevard, Fort Myers, FL 33907, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. on the evening of Friday, August 20, 2021, and a Catholic Funeral Mass will be held on Saturday, August 21, 2021 at 10:00 am at the Church of the Resurrection of Our Lord Catholic Church, 8051 Cypress Lake Drive, Fort Myers, FL 33919. In lieu of flowers, donations in Frank’s memory can be made to Community Cooperative Ministries, www.communitycooperative.com. Online condolences and memories may be shared on Frank’s tribute page at www.fortmyersmemorial.com.
For those unable to attend, please click the following link to view the streamed funeral service:
https://www.econdolence.com/join-viewneral?jc=10000:MQ6IJZ2+XGSoGcP4EfanmZI5ZvFs97V0:u4mH/eh2fqBpO+kH3oTYDw==:XE244tGLs43H0+ckeBxZJQ==
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