My dad, Frank Calco, age 78, passed away on Monday, July 27th, 2026 at 2:31am, at his home, in his own bed, in my mom and I’m arms. For anyone who knew my dad, we understood this was very important to him, and I have a sense of relief knowing we were able to give that to him. We won dad, we did it, I kept my promise to you, and your entire journey with Alzheimer’s was at home, with me, and mom, and Maxwell by your side. Dad passed away incredibly peacefully with no trace of discomfort, just pure surrender.
Frank was born in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, on December 30th, 1947 to the late Francesco and Christina (Walker) Calco. Frank spent his early years dabbling in photography and film development, while attending medical college and working for Cleveland Clinic / Hospital. He almost graduated with a doctorate, but his last semester, he and a buddy dropped out due to statistics, valid, that course would make me quit too. They left the country to get away as far as they could to somewhere new that still spoke English. They ended up in Australia, living in the caves, and wilderness, and exploring the desert, for about a year. When they met their buddy, Kanoe, he got dad involved in the oil industry.
Dad loved this work, it was dangerous, adventurous, and calculating. He became a geologist, and mathematician within the oil field and worked on many rigs out stranded in the middle of the ocean over seas. He traveled all over Southeast Asia and Indochina, Australia, New Zealand, South America, Egypt, and I’m sure others I’ve forgotten. Dad did an amazing job of documenting all of his adventures and we are blessed with hundreds, maybe even thousands, of photographs of his travels.
After the oil field, dad settled down, (kind of, but not really), with my mom. They started out in Texas, but shortly after retiring from the oil field, they left Texas to begin another voyage. Mom and Dad traveled all over the United States and Canada in their black Dodge pick up truck. Again, I am blessed with hundreds of photos of their adventures, too. They saw so many incredible places, and just like the oil field, brought back the very best stories to raise their daughter on.
Around 1988-89, Dad and Mom migrated to Wisconsin, where my mom was from, to maybe, really, settle down this time. In 1990 I was born, and Dad was working for the city of Sheboygan. He played a number of rolls, but began working for the incinerator. All of his world travels and wild knowledge played a major roll is his ability to preform at work. He eventually became involved with politics in minor ways, working with the mayor, and alder people, police, and fire and rescue. He made a pretty big name for himself, and was liked, and appreciated by a lot of people. He wrote OSHA documents, and became Safety Administrator for the city. He saved lots of lives implementing policies and procedures that were not up to par or current regulations involving so many scenarios. He made lots of friends working for the city, when he retired, a good few handfuls of others retired with him, and then they proceeded to have a joint retirement party.
After Dad’s retirement, he and I would spend a ton of time together. We went on a few trips, he took me to Las Vegas, Florida, Texas, and always back and forth to Ohio. Eight years ago we took our last trip together, and that is something I have missed for a long time already. Eventually I attended cosmetology school in Milwaukee, and mom and dad supported me in every way. Dad put me up in a great apartment down there, and would come visit with me every weekend I didn’t come home. We found these Italian grocery stores and a bakery and it was a regular stop for us until a few years ago. I moved to Colorado for a very short time, not even long enough for dad to have visited me, and quickly ended up back at home with him.
I have spent a good 80% of my life with my dad. We have always been a team. We have always been there for each other. And we have always had each other’s backs. I’ve often described my parents as my best friends, and its because they are. I have often felt like I have a somewhat unconventional relationship with my parents, never really moving out and away from them, and being an only child, and being there for my parents and them being there for me whenever we needed each other. I am very fortunate to have had this time with my parents, and I wouldn’t have had life be any other way. Caring for my dad, at intervals throughout my whole life, and then caring for him at the end of his of life, will forever be the greatest thing I’ll ever do on this planet. And I’m at peace with this getting to be what my purpose has been, thus far in my life. I would not change a thing.
Frank enjoyed life in almost every sense possible. He knew he was deserving of happiness, knew he was worthy of a life full of laughter, and he knew if he didn’t create it himself, he would never have it. He took his duty to being a goofball, incredibly seriously, perhaps the only thing he took seriously in his entire life. Both a man of incredibly vast knowledge, insight, perspective, and experience, as well as a comedian, class clown, and a perma-stoned hippie. A tangible Capricorn duality at its best. Frank loved to ride his various different Harley’s he has had throughout his life, and he loved even more to take his wife Faye around the desert in Texas, and me through the kettles here at home. He could be seen attending all of the car shows he could find, or driving around in one of his cool convertibles. He got his corvette last, and even in the end, would enjoy going to the garage to look at it and sit in it. I wanted to have him buried in it, but the funeral home told me no, haha. Dad was full of kindness and compassion, he always had a big smile and dumb dad joke to tell, he gave the best hugs, and always made me feel safe when he was around. He was an unstoppable force, a dumb, dry joke, and the Webster’s dictionary all wrapped up in one.
Frank is survived by his wife, Faye, daughter, Alexandra, son in law, Maxwell, 1 dogchild, & 3 doggrands Angie, Thea, Kali- Ma, & Moses, 4 cat grands, Hades, Persephone, Methuselah, & Enoch, sister, Teresa, brother-in-law, Mark, brother, David, sister-in-law, Marlene, brother, Marcus, & nieces and nephews, Ryan, Brittany, Alexander, Jennifer, Anthony, & Markie.
Along with his parents, Frank was preceded in death by cat grandsons, Hurley & Dixon, sister-in-law, Jan, nephews, Sammy, & Walter, and great aunts and uncles.
A Burial for Frank will be held at 2:30 PM at St. Thomas Aquinas Cemetery, W5688 Cty FF in Elkhart Lake on Monday, August 3, 2026.
In lieu of flowers, a memorial fund has been established in Frank’s name.
The family would like to thank Dad’s siblings for their support and help throughout all of this, an extra special bit of gratitude to Teresa & Mark for everything they have done, Sharon Richardson Hospice for their support, compassion, and understanding throughout the last five months, Grace Lutheran Church for welcoming and including Frank in your congregation, my close friends, Kaylee Strains, Bob Rigsby and family, Emily Ella, & Kayla Anderson, for all of the support, compassion, kindness, and help you’ve offered me, on behalf of my mom, Faye, I need to thank The Entire Team at Evans, your understanding and support means the world to her, and another thank you from Faye to the Church, for the same wonderful reasons.
Zimmer Westview Funeral & Cremation Care Center is caring for Frank and his family. To leave an online condolence, please visit www.zimmerfuneralhome.com
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