Franco Baldassare
Posted By Egan Funeral Home On April 1, 2023 @ 2:13 pm In Bolton Area,Obituaries | 30 Comments
On Thursday, March 30, 2023, Franco Baldassare passed away peacefully at Brampton Civic Hospital at the age of 87. He was the loving husband of 63 years to Maria. Father to Ugo and his wife Catherine, Laura and her husband Dan. Grandfather (Nonno) to Adam, Lucas, Talia, Marina, Claire, Jenna, and Eric. Brother of Teresa, Antonietta (deceased), Liliana (deceased), Cristina (deceased), Giuseppe (deceased), Mario, and Maria.
Franco was born in Francavilla al Mare, Chieti, Italy, on April 10, 1935, to parents Rocco and Maria. He immigrated to Canada in 1956, married his lifelong love in 1959 and began to make a better life for himself and his future family. He was hardworking, determined, and appreciative of every opportunity granted him in his new country. His curiosity and initiative led him to a career in the construction industry. He was at the forefront of the use of tower cranes from the early 1960’s, started his own business Euro Crane in 1980, consulting on many major projects including the CN tower. As the city’s most iconic building reached the sky, the question became, “how on earth do we get that crane down”? Who would have thought that an immigrant who started with nothing would be called upon to help solve the problem, leading to the use of “Olga” the Sikorsky Skycrane helicopter. We think he has been on over 750 rooftops in Toronto and southern Ontario, helping to shape this beautiful city’s skyline over his 40 plus year career. He will be remembered for the countless high-rise buildings he helped to construct, his fearlessness of heights and that nobody could beat him up 30 flights of stairs.
Franco’s presence was steadfast; he was a pillar on which to lean and always offered a kind and honest word when needed. There was no problem that overwhelmed him; he took each challenge as an opportunity to learn and grow. Franco took pride in the country home he built for his family and lived in for 46 years. He could be found in his huge vegetable garden, running his lawn tractor, tinkering on vehicles, scaling huge trees to trim them to his liking, or making prosciutto and sausages in the basement. The family fondly remembers their day trips and picnics at Wasaga Beach. Every holiday around the dinner table saw Franco at the head, sharing in food and stories with his children and grandchildren. He loved his community centered around St. Patrick’s Wildfield Church where he met many wonderful friends celebrating events, cleaning up the adjoining park and serving as an usher at mass. He will be dearly missed by his family, close relatives, and friends.
The family will receive their friends on Tuesday, April 4, from 2:00-4:00pm; 7:00-9:00pm at Egan Funeral Home, 203 Queen St. S. (Hwy 50), Bolton. Funeral mass will be held on Wednesday April 5, at 10:00am at St. Patrick’s Roman Catholic Church, 11873 The Gore Road, Brampton. With entombment to follow at Queen of Heaven Cemetery, 7300 Hwy. 27, Woodbridge.
If desired, memorial donations may be made to Brampton Civic Hospital Foundation or the Heart and Stroke Foundation.
Condolences to the family may be offered at www.EganFuneralHome.com
Condolences for the family of “Franco Baldassare”
Frank, you will be deeply missed. I will miss our conversations and all the knowledge you shared with me .
Your presence on the Board of Directors of your condominium corporation was a benefit to all the unit owners and inspiring for me, as your property manager and friend.
It is with sadness to hear of your passing. You have definitely left a distinct mark on everyone associated with you. Your contribution on the Board as a Director and President for so many years and also as an individual was always inspirational and rewarding. It will be missed. May you Rest in Peace in the arms of The Lord. You may be gone but will not be forgotten.
To Frank’s spouse, children and grandchildren, he spoke of you so many times with so much pride in his heart. I extend my deepest sympathies to every member of the family. Take courage in the knowledge that he will be watching over you from Heaven.
Ada Ruzza and all the staff at
Derian Group Property Management Inc.
Our deepest condolences to you and your family Laura.
You will all be in our thoughts and prayers during this most difficult time.
Marco, Cindy, Olivia and Dante
Laura, my condolences to you and your family. It is such a difficult time, but rest sure God is holding your hand right now.
My prayers are with and your family.
Maria, Ugo, Laura and the entire Baldassare family, we express our deepest sympathy for the loss of Frank. He was a true and unique gentleman in every sense of the word – he was simply a pillar in our community. We can see that he had a long & deep connection with many people and especially his cherished family. We can honestly say that we are honoured to have known him as a dear family friend for the past 50 years. We will truly miss him, especially trying to convince us that it’s not time to get rid of his green 2000 Lincoln LS. He was steadfast in keeping that car going because “nothing can replace a rear-wheel drive car with a V8” as he would say!
When we lose someone we love we must learn not to live without them, but to live with the love they left behind. We hope for the family that your memories bring you comfort. Our prayers and thoughts are with your family during this difficult time.
Requiescat in pace, Franco
The Cella Family and everyone at Cella Auto
It was with great sadness to hear of the passing of Frank. May he rest in peace.
Our sincerest condolences to all of you. May God give you strength and courage during this time of great sorrow.
Maria, you and your Family will be in our thoughts and prayers even more so than previously.
We are sorry we cannot attend Frank’s funeral in person, due to Gaetano’s lungs .
A warm embrace to you , your children and grandchildren. With all our love.
Jean, Gaetano Turcarolo & Family
Sincerest condolences also from Michelina Morelli, who is also sick and cannot attend, and
Eufemia Torreson and Maria Ceci
It was with great sadness to hear of the passing of Frank. May he rest in peace.
Our sincerest condolences to all of you. May God give you strength and courage during this time of great sorrow.
Maria, you and your Family will be in our thoughts and prayers even more so than previously.
We are sorry we cannot attend Frank’s funeral in person, due to Gaetano’s lungs .
A warm embrace to you , your children and grandchildren. With all our love.
Jean, Gaetano Turcarolo & Family
Sincerest condolences also from Michelina Morelli, who is also sick and cannot attend, and
Eufemia Torreson and Maria Ceci
It is with sadness that Frank has left us. Offering our condolence to everyone as we know that he will be missed. I have a lasting memory of Frank coming over & helping me to square up the shed that I was building in my backyard. Just when I thought that it would be impossible, Frank merely wedged a steel bar towards one side and within minutes managed to get the shed to square up. He made the impossible “possible”. Have always found his positive attitude towards problem solving to be inspirational. Thank you Franco again.
Dear Baldassare Family,
It was my deep honour to be by your side at the Hospital when Franco died. It was a grace filled moment when, after receiving the Anointing for the Sick and the Apostolic Pardon, he breathed his last. My pray is that he will now be embraced in the loving arms of God and that he family who had gone before him (like his mother) might have welcomed him into eternity.
I will keep you all in my prayers.
Fr. Liborio
Fr. Liborio Amaral
Pastor
St. Mary’s Parish
We are so sorry to hear of Zio Franco’s passing. We unfortunately will not be able to say good-bye in person as we will be away. We are sending all our love and prayers to Zia Maria, Laura, Ugo, and your families. We hope this poem gives you some comfort during this difficult time. It helped us when we lost Jeff’s dad in 2016.
Love Toni, Jeff, and Cara xo
Poem – Death is Nothing At All
Death is nothing at all.
I have only slipped into the next room.
I am I, and you are you;
Whatever we were to each other, we are still.
Call me by my old familiar name;
Speak to me in the easy way you always used.
Put no difference into your tone;
Wear no air of solemnity or sorrow;
Laugh as we always laughed
At the little jokes we enjoyed together;
Play, smile, think of me, pray for me.
Let my name be ever
The household word that it always was.
Let it be spoken without effect;
Without the ghost of a shadow on it.
Life means all that it ever meant.
It is the same as it ever was.
There is absolutely unbroken continuity.
What is this death but negligible accident?
Why should I be out of mind because I am out of sight?
I am but waiting for you,
For an interval, somewhere, very near
Just around the corner.
All is well.
By Henry Scott-Holland
Our deepest condolences to the Baldassare and DelFatti Family
May all of your precious memories always bring a smile to your hearts. Your Father was a wonderful Husband, a caring Father and a Loving Nonno whose honesty and integrity shines through generations of his family. May you all find solace remembering his smile and laughter and all of the special moments you have all had over the years.
With Love
The DeBellis Family
Dear Zia Maria,
I am so sorry to hear of your husband’s passing.
I heard the news through Aurora.
Losing a longtime companion is a very traumatic event one can go through
I wish you are able to find peace in the love of your family
I send you a big hug. I am sorry I cannot give it to you in person as I am away recuperated from an accident.
Love Cathy D’ORAZIO
Dear Ugo, Catherine and Families
My heartfelt Condolences to you and your families. Take consolation in The Divine Mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ during this time of great sorrow. Sincerely in prayer and peace Rosemary and Robert Shoemaker
So sorry to hear of your loss Maria and families. Cherish the many memories you have made together and may Frank now rest in peace amongst family and friends who have gone before him.
Mario Piane and Family
To my dear friend Maria, I offer my deepest and heartfelt condolences. Through your loving friendship I came to know Franco. I am saddened by his passing and know full well the impact this will have on you. Franco was a man of intelligence and integrity. I was lucky enough to enjoy many a delicious cappuccino made by Franco as the three of us then sat for a spell to be entertained and more importantly enlightened by Franco’s many interesting stories. Clearly he had a rich and blessed life. You Maria, and your accomplished children and grandchildren were his pride and joy; he told me as much.. I am honoured to have known him. May he find joy and peace in his Creator’s house and in his welcoming embrace. To you my friend and to your precious family, may all the wonderful memories of you share of Franco bring you comfort and peace.
Comare, Baldassare & DelFatti families,
Our deepest condolences on the passing of Franco. He was truly an amazing person who always thought and put his family ahead of everyone. Cherish the memories you have of him and remember he may be gone but will never be forgotten.
Love always,
Marisa, Luciano, Adam and Julia Coschino
Zia Maria, Ugo, Laura and family,
I was deeply saddened to hear of the passing of zio Franco. He was such a special person, and I will always remember his kindness, warmth, and sense of humour.
Please accept our heartfelt condolences and know that you and your family are in our thoughts during this difficult time.
With love,
Tiziana and David Vatri
My Sincerest Condolence to Baldassare Family. I read Mr. Baldassare bio and impressed from his great achievement in Crane industry, I wish if I can meet him in person.
It is very hard time for all family member to say Goodbye to him.
I pray to God give strength and peace to all of you with his wonderful memories.
Ugo
Please accept my condolences to you and your family on the loss of your dad! I trust you will treasure those wonderful memories of him. May God strengthen you and your family and give you peace during this difficult time!
My deepest condolences to the Baldassare family. Frank was a true and faithful supporter of our St. Patrick’s Church. He will be missed.
May He Rest In Peace
Carmela Galloro and family
To: Franco’s family
Our heartfelt condolences as I knew Frank for many years going back to St. Patrick’s and also being part of the Regina team. He was indeed a gentleman and kind and he will be missed. He definitely left a legacy behind and his family must be so proud. You are going to be missed. RIP.
Nadia C. Collia and family.
Regina Unit 7
Heartfelt condolences to Maria and all of her family. May you find comfort in all the wonderful memories of Frank as a husband, father and grandfather. His smiling face will be missed at St.Patrick Church but he will remain in our hearts and prayers.
Frank was a kind, helpful and wonderful man who loved his family and kept close to his friends.
His garden reflected how he loved life and was always ready to help anyone who needed him.
Our sincere condolences to your family.
Frank, may God welcome you into heaven with open arms.
God bless your family.
Livio and Luisa Ciccolini
My condolences to the family. Such a beautiful obituary and legacy, and lovely memories.
My mother was Gelsomina DiDomizio and she passed away in January. I feel your loss and we send you our love.
Dear Baldassare & Delfatti families,
We are so sorry for your loss of Franco Baldassare. Sending our love and condolences to all of you at such a difficult time.
With love,
Meghan and Isabella
We hope that you will be sharing memories that manage to make you smile during this difficult time. We are thinking of you!
Ugo, Cathy, Laura, Mrs. Baldassare and family our heartfelt condolences on the loss of your father. Sending prayers your way. May the memories you hold dear comfort you.
Love Gina and Joe Buccilli
Dear Baldassare family,
I’m sorry to hear about the loss of Franco, my family and I send our condolences to all of you during this time.
After reading a beautifully written obituary its quite clear that Franco deeply enjoyed the time with his family.
I remember hearing stories from Adam over the years, I’m sure that he will be deeply missed.
May he eternally rest, R.I.P
With love,
Tom, Mary Grace and the rest of the Di Poce family.
My sincerest condolences, I wish the family much love in this time of loss.
I am so sorry for your loss. Your Dad was always so pleasant every time he walked into our branch and such a pleasure to deal with.
We will all miss him dearly. ❤️
Wendy Wilson
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Ugo and Katherine
Sending our condolences during this difficult time.May your dad rest in eternal peace