Salvatore Franco

Franco, Salvatore
Nov. 6, 1922 - Feb. 19, 2008

Salvatore Franco, 85, Nokomis, formerly of Bowie, Md., died Feb. 19, 2008.
A memorial Mass will begin at 11:30 a.m. Saturday at Epiphany Cathedral. Burial will be at Sacred Heart Cemetery in Bowie. Ewing Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Survivors include his wife of 55 years, Ann; his sons Gregory of Largo,
Kenneth (Debra) of Arnold, Md., and Jeffrey (Donna) of Huntington Beach, Calif.; grandchildren Shannon, Nicholas, Zachary, Lauren, Ashley, Megan and Brooke; sister Catherine (Michael) Branca; and brother Vincent (Dorothy) Franco of Pawleys Island, S.C.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Leon and Antoinetta Franco, both born in Italy, and a brother, Frank Franco.
Sal was born Nov. 6, 1922, in Philadelphia. When he was 5, his family moved to Wildwood, N.J. He attended school there and played football. Sal was a U.S. Navy veteran of World War II, serving in the European Theater on merchant ships.
Sal was a building contractor in Wildwood and Cape May, N.J. He moved his wife and sons to Bowie in 1960. There, he started a building contractor business. Very active in the community, he was a charter member of the Belair Lions Club and Belair Boys Club and a team sponsor. Sal was a fourth-degree member of the Knights of Columbus Honor Color Guard. He joined the Knights of Columbus in 1956 in Cape May, Stella Maris Council 3546. He served as grand knight of this council. Sal was a member of Sacred Heart Council 2577 in Bowie since 1960 and attended meetings at the 10th Street Hall in Old Bowie. Sal made his fourth degree in 1969, held in Annapolis, Md. He was an honor color guard in St. John Newman Assembly. Sal was very proud to be in the Knights. He made several Living Rosaries and traveled to various parishes in Southern Maryland to lead praying the Living Rosary.
Sal enjoyed building. He renovated St. Pius X Rectory and Office, Sacred Heart Rectory and CCD school classrooms. He opened Central Hardware & Home Building Supply in Bowie.
Sal enjoyed playing golf, boating, fishing and catching blue hard-shell crabs. In later years he made many beautiful stained-glass pieces. Sal and his wife, Ann, moved to Nokomis in 2003. They are members of Epiphany Cathedral Parish.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to TideWell Hospice and Palliative Care, 5955 Rand Blvd., Sarasota, FL 34238.