Frank E. Giordano, 83, formerly of Moorestown and Delran, died peacefully on Dec. 1 in Ocean City, N.J. He is survived by his wife Brenda, his brother Ron (Joan) of Haddonfield, his four children: Jeff (Sandy) of Cary, N.C., Linda (Allan) Melillo of Hope, N.J., Ron (Heidi) of Moorestown and Julie (Myron) Plotkin of Galloway, N.J., as well as three grandchildren and six great grandchildren.
Born in Woodbury in 1937, Frank was raised in Collingswood, where he graduated from its high school in 1955. A decision to focus on basketball over football following his freshman year took him from Cornell to the University of Vermont. While in Burlington, a fraternity brother invited him home for the weekend, and a blind date resulted in a connection to Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom that he valued deeply for the next 60 years. He and Brenda were married in St. Johnsbury, Vt. in April, 1958.
After graduation and two years in the Army, the couple settled down in South Jersey and Frank joined the family scrap metal business. In 1985, he worked with Camden County officials in support of the first mandatory recycling legislation in the state, sorting glass, plastic, and paper in the back of the scrapyard two years before New Jersey mandated recycling. Frank’s leadership landed him an appointment by then- Governor Tom Kean to the Solid Waste Advisory Council. The family business was eventually sold, and he joined the Pollution Control Financing Authority of Camden County, where he worked until his retirement in 2010.
When away from the office, there was a high probability Frank was golfing. A member of Riverton Country Club for 40 years, he was the club’s President from 1982 to 1984. He participated in basketball leagues, softball, running and cycling at times over the years, but golf was his true passion. For his devotion, he was rewarded with 3 holes-in-one, including the last on Merion’s 246-yard 17th hole.
Due to public health concerns, services will be private. In lieu of flowers, donations in memory of Frank should be directed to The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research. (www.michaeljfox.org).
