Isidore “Izzy” Anthony Francescone, from Mount Laurel, formerly of Pennsauken, passed away on February 16, 2025, in Mount Holly, New Jersey after a brief illness. Loving husband of Mary (Meiler). Devoted father of Mary Beth Osusky (Frank), Patricia, Bart (Lisa), Margie Slenn (Kurt), and John. Devoted grandfather of Katie, Mike, Dan, Rob, Christy, Alex, Liz, Holly, Tammy, Mandy, Terry, and Jordan. Also survived by seven great grandchildren and by his faithful dog companion Nessie.
Predeceased by his parents Bernard “Barney” and Phillippina “Phil”, and sisters Josephine and Filomena “Flossy”.
Izzy was born in Camden, NJ and was a loving son to Italian immigrants. Attended Camden High School, Class of 1946. He married his high school sweetheart whom he met as a neighbor in his youth. After being brave enough to ask Mary’s father permission to dance with his only daughter at a Polish dance, Mary and Izzy’s fate was sealed and led to 73 years of marriage. He served in the US Army from November 1950 to November 1952. He was the first and the only in his family to attend college while helping Mary raise a young family. He worked full time while attending Rutgers University at night.
After graduating Rutgers, he started his career in accounting, becoming a CPA and having his own accounting firm for 30 years. He served as the president of the Southwest Jersey chapter of the New Jersey Society of CPAs and served as a trustee of the New Jersey Board of Certified Public Accountants. Later on, his entrepreneurial spirit led him to open a bakery franchise, the Bread Basket, with his five lifelong Italian friends appropriately incorporating under the name “Sixital”.
He was an avid sports fan with a particular love for baseball. As a young man he played on Camden’s Buccaneer’s baseball team. As a father, he enjoyed organizing games of baseball and football for the neighborhood kids and family. He was a lifelong Phillies fan and a long-term season ticket holder where he enjoyed sharing his tickets with family and friends.
Izzy was very involved in his community. He was an active member of the Pennsauken Jaycees and Pennsauken Merchantville Rotary Club, where he held officer positions. He coached little league and was engaged politically in local elections. He was a man of faith, a parishioner of St. Peter Roman Catholic Church for over 70 years and was a long-term member of their Knights of Columbus.
More recently he served as a board member for the Glen at Mason’s Creek and wrote monthly articles for their community newsletter. These were often his reflections on life’s cherished gifts of love, freedom, opportunity and family.
Izzy’s most cherished role was being the patriarch of his family of five children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. He gave them a legacy of unconditional love, wisdom, mentorship and encouragement to follow their dreams. He was a talented artist drawing for the family and wrote many stories that he would tell his children and later their children and their children’s children using different voices for each of the characters. These stories often had messages about right and wrong and redemption for the characters on the wrong side. He cherished family vacation including many trips to Myrtle Beach and bringing the entire five children’s families to Disney World together several times. He took several adventurous trips to Europe with Mary.
He loved playing with his children and grandchildren from endless hours pushing them in an inflatable boat in the South Carolina waves or playing silly games on the couch or just snuggling at the end of the day. He cherished playing his accordion at family gatherings or with friends and was always able to play song requests by ear.
A gifted musician, writer, artist, and businessman was Izzy but his best gift was passionately loving his family and friends. He was a formidable character with a big personality, and full of life to the end. He embraced all; always had a joke to share, an encouraging word for those needing one, and he had a way of making everyone feel special. His energy was contagious. He worked well into his late eighties, helping his clients navigate not only financial challenges but life’s battles as well. He was generous and always helping those less fortunate than himself. His traits of humor, tenacity, and charm were on display throughout his 97 years young.
A viewing will be held at the Gaskill-Brown Funeral Home, 33 West Maple Avenue, Merchantville on Friday, February 21, 2025, from 7 pm to 9 pm. Mass of Christian Burial will be held 10 AM, Saturday, February 22, 2025 at Saint Peter Roman Catholic Church, 43 West Maple Ave, Merchantville. Interment to follow at Calvary Cemetery, Cherry Hill. Donations in his memory can be made to the St. Peter School Scholarship Fund, 51 West Maple Ave, Merchantville, NJ 08109
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