Dr. Frank A. Calabria

1941 - 2015

Dr. Frank A. Calabria

AGE: 73 • Parsippany

Dr. Frank A. Calabria, loving husband, father, grandfather, brother, educator, mentor, and friend, died peacefully on February 2, 2015 after a courageous battle with mantle cell lymphoma. He was 73. Devoted son to Connie and Sam Calabria, Frank was born on June 25, 1941, in Newark, New Jersey where he met his future wife, Angela. Upon marrying, they moved to Parsippany. For more than 40 years, Dr. Calabria has served the town of Parsippany Troy Hills with tireless dedication. He has been a member of the Parsippany Board of Education since 1973 and was one of the longest serving Board members in the state of New Jersey. He served numerous times as Board president and has mentored many school board members throughout the state. He sought to improve the schools and community for the benefit of each child and family in Parsippany. Frank provided wisdom with an ethical voice to discussions, debates, and decision making, all with the goal of serving Parsippany's most important citizens, its children. Frank was also an active member of St. Christopher's Parish, serving as Eucharistic minister and a teacher of CCD, Confirmation, and RCIA. Frank received his Doctorate in Educational Administration from Fordham University, and utilized his extensive knowledge and experience in his career. He believed in public education and served multiple school districts with distinction. Over the course of his career, he was a teacher, guidance counselor, guidance director, assistant principal, and principal. In each district, Frank was sought by both students and staff as the person to learn from, laugh with, and emulate. Whether getting all to believe that it "Takes a Little More to be a Spartan" or bringing philosophy and astronomy to the high schools, his passion for education was infectious.

Frank used as his compass this one question, "Is this good for children?" This philosophy guided his professional and personal work throughout his life. His honors, while too numerous to mention in their entirety, included receiving the UNICO Parsippany Citizen of the Year award, receiving the Jaycee's Distinguished Service award along with his wife Angela, and being an inductee into the Parsippany Hills High School Hall of Fame.

He is survived by his beloved wife of 48 years, Angela, his two brothers Sam and Dom, his four children, Maria Manley and her husband Mike, Joanne Barkauskas and her husband Rich, Suzanne Petersen and her husband Jim, and David Calabria and his wife Kendra, and his 15 cherished grandchildren, Michael, Veronica, Caroline, Sophia, Richard, Matthew, Thomas, Emma, James, Emily, Julia, Ryan, Connor, Andrew, and Benton.

All are welcome to attend his funeral on Saturday, February 7, starting at 9:00 a.m. at St. Christopher Roman Catholic Church, 1050 Littleton Road, Parsippany, where the liturgy of the Christian Burial will be celebrated. All are also welcome to gather at the Par-Troy Funeral Home, 95 Parsippany Road, Parsippany, 973-887-3235 and www.partroyfuneralhome.com, on Friday, February 6, from 3:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Because of his great devotion to education and to benefit students of Parsippany Troy Hills, the family is requesting in lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Dr. Frank A. Calabria Scholarship Fund. Checks should be made payable to the Parsippany Troy Hills Board of Education (PTHBoE), and mailed to the Parsippany Troy Hills Board of Education, c/o Joni Benos, 292 Parsippany Road, Parsippany, NJ 07054.