Francis V. Cordo

Francis V. Cordo, 91, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, November 8, 2022. He was born in Utica, NY on February 28, 1931, the son of Rosario and Theresa (Denarola) Cordo. He was a graduate of Proctor High School Class of 1949, where he excelled at basketball and baseball.

Frank was a draftsman at General Electric for 33 years, almost his entire working career, where he held several patents for drafting/mechanical engineering tools. He also taught drafting as an adjunct at MVCC; it drove him crazy that students in his class had graduated high school without understanding fractions.

On September 3, 1960, he married the love of his life, Vera (Podolanka) Cordo. They adored each other until her passing in 1985, just a couple months shy of their 25th anniversary. He was a beloved father to their two daughters whom he put first above all else.

Frank had many interests throughout his life. He was a horse racing enthusiast, both standardbred and thoroughbred, and could frequently be found at Vernon Downs and Saratoga. He was passionate about music; his collection included everything from 50s tunes to Roy Orbison, The Bee Gees, and Phil Collins to the Three Tenors. He enjoyed boating and took many fishing trips with his friends, as well as a couple ocean-going journeys. Frank was also an avid astronomy buff and was a member of the Mohawk Valley Astronomy Club where he enjoyed showing off his Questar telescope to the other members. Ever the mechanical genius, he was working on an internal combustion engine of his own design that he never got to finish. We're going to frame the blueprints on your drafting board, Dad. He also closely followed politics like some people follow soap operas, lamenting that the former was becoming too much like the latter.

Frank was exceedingly empathetic to the plights of others, and went out of his way to help people. There are many people who will remember his kindness and generosity. A humble and low-key man the whole of his life, he led by example and was an exemplary role model. We couldn't have asked for a better father.

He leaves behind his daughters, Christy Cordo (Tim Lemieux) and Cheryl Gaebel (Joe); his sisters, Genevieve Venturino and Marie Milazzo; his brother, Michael Cordo (Judith); and several nieces, nephews, and cousins. He was blessed to have many lifelong friends, as well as his buddies he met for breakfast and lunch several times a week right up until a few months ago. He was preceded in death by his wife, Vera; his brother, Vincent; and his brothers-in-law, Italo (Tim) Venturino and Sam (Joe) Milazzo.

We would like to express our sincere thanks to the wonderful staff at St. Elizabeth's ICU, especially Jackie and Abby for their compassion and care.

Calling hours will be Saturday, November 12 from 2-4 pm at the Mark C. Bentz Funeral Service, Inc., 13 Oxford Road, New Hartford.  Services and interment in Calvary Cemetery will be private.

In lieu of flowers, kindly consider a charity of your choice in his memory.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Francis V. Cordo, please visit our floral store.