Frances Mancuso

1934 - 2022

Frances Lapera Mancuso, a lifelong resident of Carbondale, passed away peacefully Thursday at the age of 87. On Oct. 29, 2011, she was preceded in death by her beloved husband and best friend of 53 years, Fred J. Mancuso, P.E., former mayor of the City of Carbondale.

Born on May 16, 1934, in Carbondale, Fran was the daughter of the late Angelo and Frances Gigliotti Lapera. She was a devout Catholic and lifelong member of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church, Carbondale. She graduated from Benjamin Franklin High School. A devoted wife, she married and moved to Philadelphia with her husband while he completed studies at Drexel University. They returned to Carbondale, where she dedicated her life to her family as a loving wife, mother and grandmother.

Fran had a striking sense of style, and she shared a vibrancy for life that inspired and uplifted others. All who knew her felt the depth of her warmth and kindness whenever she was near, especially her puppy Maggie, who never left her side. She was extraordinarily generous, always concerned with taking care of others before herself. She took pride in the beautiful home she and her husband had made, and she ensured that it remained the heart of family gatherings throughout her lifetime. She was and always will be immensely treasured by all whose lives she touched.

She is survived by two loving and devoted sons, Dr. Fred Mancuso, D.C. and wife, Mary, and David Mancuso and wife, Joleen, all of Carbondale. She is also survived by four grandchildren, whom she cherished with all her heart, Danielle Toungett and husband, Josh, East Peoria, Ill.; Dustin Mancuso and companion, Sierra, Greenfield Twp.; Jordan and Christopher Mellon, Carbondale; two great-grandchildren, Levi Graham and Shea Frances Toungett, East Peoria; a brother-in-law, Donald Mancuso and wife, Susan, Crystal Lake; and numerous nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by two sisters, Caroline Anelli and Theresa Masco; five brothers, Dominic, John, Samuel, Patrick and Bernard; and two brothers-in-law, Frank J. Mancuso and wife, Dorothy, and Anthony Angelo and wife, Nan.

The funeral will be Monday with a Mass of Christian Burial celebrated by her nephew, the Rev. John Lapera, at 11 a.m. in Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church, 15 Fallbrook St., Carbondale. Entombment, Our Mother of Sorrows Mausoleum, Finch Hill. Family and friends will be received at the church from 10 a.m. until Mass time. Arrangements, Lawrence A. Gabriel Funeral Homes and Cremation Services Inc., 2 Hospital St., Carbondale. Online condolences may be sent to the funeral home's website.