Frank E. Giordano
Formerly of Moorestown and Delran, NJ, died peacefully on Tuesday, Dec. 1, 2020, in Ocean City, NJ. He is survived by his wife Brenda, his brother Ron (Joan) of Haddonfield, NJ, his four children: Jeff (Sandy) of Cary, NC, Linda (Allan) Melillo of Hope, NJ, Ron (Heidi) of Moorestown, NJ, and Julie (Myron) Plotkin, of Galloway, NJ, three grandchildren and six great grandchildren.
Born in Woodbury, NJ in 1937, Frank was raised in Collingswood, where he graduated from the 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 of 1958.
After graduation and two years in the Army, they 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 2 years before NJ mandated recycling. His leadership landed him an appointment by then Governor Tom Kean to the NJ 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.
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).