Francis "Frank" Carmen Oddo

One of Torrington’s lifelong residents, Francis (Frank) Carmen Oddo, 100, passed suddenly and was lovingly reunited with his deceased sisters, Molly S. Oddo and Mary Oddo Garneau, on April 5, 2017.  A good description of Frank would be the Frank Sinatra song, “I did it my way” ~ even at the time of his death.

His parents, Frances Oddo and Salvatrice Tata, met and married in a the village of Rosolini, in the small town of Floridia, Sicily.   After their first son was born they talked of immigrating to America where Frank's mother, the youngest of 10 children, wanted to follow her oldest sister who had already settled in Winsted, CT.  Around 1910, his father set out to America and established himself by getting a steady job as a machinist in Torrington, CT.   Shortly thereafter his mother set out, with baby Constantino, and joined Frank's father in Winsted.   After their reunion, two more babies were born, his sisters Molly and Mary.   In 1912 tragedy struck the family when Costantino became ill with pneumonia and died.  Bad became worse when in 1917 his father died of Tuberculosis only 21 days prior to Frank's birth.  His mother was left to raise three small children on her own so she moved from Winsted to Torrington where the family resided their entire lives.

Frank always was a good looker and snazzy dresser this explains his first job of working as a salesman of men's apparel until he decided on June 5, 1939 to enlist in the Army -- and reported for active duty in 1941 in New Guinea and the Southern Philippines.  He was decorated with the good Conduct Medal, Asiatic Pacific Theater Campaign Ribbon, Philippine Liberation Ribbon and Two Bronze Service Stars.  He served as a first sergeant in the heavy weapons company and Rifleman.  He supervised all company correspondence making all the reports and forms handling morning reports and special orders.  His service to our country left him unable to hear and he continuously, all his life, searched to find proper hearing aids.  After his honorable discharge in 1945, Frank came back to Wall Street and back to his love of selling and wearing nice clothes and founded Oddo Print Shop next to his home on Wall Street, which he sold in the 1980’s.

In his earlier years Frank loved to travel to all different parts of the world and just about every weekend he was in CT he would venture to New York City.   Until the age of 98 he was infamous for driving his Convertible Red Mercedes. He enjoyed eating out almost every meal and continued to do so until three days before he died.  His friends would like to thank the staff at Vinny's Restaurant who took such great care looking out for Frank where he ventured to eat almost every day in his last years.

Frank was a life-time member of St Peter Church, the Torrington Elks Club, life-time sponsor of the St Jude's Telethon results board, and a proud US Veteran through and through.

Funeral services will be held on Thursday, April 20, 2017, with the cortege leaving at 9:30 a.m. from Cook Funeral Home, 82 Litchfield St., Torrington, to St. Peter Church, 107 East Main St., Torrington for a Mass of Christian Burial at 10:00 a.m.  Burial will follow at St. Francis New Cemetery with full military honors accorded.  Relatives and friends may call on Thursday morning from 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. at Cook Funeral Home.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to St. Peter Church, c/o The Pastoral Center, 160 Main St., Torrington, CT 06790.  Condolences for Frank can be sent by visiting www.cookfuneralhomect.com