Frank Bianco

Frank Bianco There's still a tree growing in front of 202 Eldert Street, Brooklyn, the home where Frank Bianco grew up. Born on July 8, 1931, he was the son of William Bianco, a New York City cab driver who didn't need a GPS to find an address, and Josephine Bella Bianco known for her delicious meatballs and spaghetti dinners. He met Marie Guirreri, the love of his life, when she was fifteen and he was seventeen. They married on April 28, 1956. Frank has three younger siblings: Beatrice Schiavo, of Yorktown Heights, N.Y., and twin sisters Josephine Bianco, of Baldwin N.Y. and Sr. Angela Bianco, of Loretto, Ky. Frank graduated from Bushwick High School in 1949, and was accepted as a candidate for Maryknoll Missionaries in 1950. He spent a year studying Latin six hours a day until he became so proficient he took philosophy and theology classes taught in Latin. He left Maryknoll in 1955, and finished his senior year at St. John's University. His first three jobs were in public relations with Bohack, Corn Products and Lever Bros. He then accepted a position as the public relations director for the Bishop of Brooklyn, Most Rev. Francis Magavero, and later for St. Peters University in Jersey City. Moving on to the academic, Frank taught journalism classes at both C.W. Post College of Long Island University in Brookville, N.Y. and Hofstra University, Hempstead. During this time, he earned a MA in photography and moved on to a career as a free lance writer/ photographer selling his stories to Newsday, New York Times, Sports Illustrated, Travel Leisure and other media. Despite a bout with polio as an infant, Frank enjoyed many sports. He lifted weights several days a week and owned 800 pounds of iron plates. He pitched hardball, had a third degree brown belt in judo, rode an off road mountain bike, earned Red Cross badges for swimming a 100 miles a summer and enjoyed both surf and fly fishing. Writing a Leisure Sports column for Newsday about non-team sports, Frank investigated para-sailing, cross country skiing, snowmobiling, archery, scuba diving and kayaking, the sport he loved best. In addition to sports stories, Frank wrote several food articles and food/travel stories for Newsday. A Celebration of Life will take place on Saturday, March 18, 2017, at 2:30 p.m. at Foxdale Village, 500 East Marylyn Ave., State College, PA 16801. Everyone is invited. Funeral arrangements are under the care of Koch Funeral Home, State College. Online condolences and signing of the guest book may be entered at www.kochfuneralhome.com