Frank Joseph Capacchione

Frank Joseph Capacchione, age 95, of Rockville, MD, died on March 16, 2026, of natural causes. Frank was born July 1, 1930, in Washington, DC, where he graduated from McKinley Tech High School before serving in the Army Corps of Engineers during the Korean Conflict. He retired from both the Washington DC Government Department of Environmental Services and the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America. He was an active charter parishioner of St. Patrick Catholic Church, Rockville, MD, and member of the Rosensteel Chapter of the Knights of Columbus, Silver Spring, MD.

He is survived by his loving wife of 74 years, Helen Mabel, five children Robert, Diane Chugani (husband Harry), Linda (husband Dale Abrahamse), William (wife Dores), John (wife Laurie Lanca), seven grandchildren Carla, Ryan, Cristina, Eric, Channing, Caroline, Augusta Abrahamse (husband Cesar Fuentes), two great grandchildren Octavia and Adrian, two sisters-in-law Louise “Micky” Lewter and Lucille “Lucy” Harbin, and many nieces and nephews. He is predeceased by his parents Liberato and Giovanna, sister Maria Peterson and brother Anthony.

Funeral arrangements are as follows: Visitation Saturday, March 21, 2026, from 11:30 to 12:30 at St. Patrick Catholic Church, 4101 Norbeck Road, Rockville, MD 20853, followed by Mass of Christian Burial at 12:30; Burial at 2:00 pm, Gate of Heaven Cemetery, 13801 Georgia Avenue, Silver Spring, MD 20906; Reception to follow at 2:30, Leisure World, Clubhouse 1 Baltimore Room, 3700 Rossmoor Blvd, Silver Spring, MD 20906.

In lieu of flowers consider a donation to Visitation Monastery of Minneapolis, 1615 Fremont Avenue North, Minneapolis, MN 55411 (www.visitationmonasteryminneapolis.org).

Frank will be remembered as a devoted husband, father, grandfather, great grandfather, uncle, father-in-law, neighbor and friend who enjoyed witty family dinner-table banter while consuming his and Mabel’s famous homemade ravioli and Italian sausage--after doffing their matching “Frank and Mabel” kitchen aprons. Nothing pleased Frank more (except maybe his garden) than to tell dinnertime childhood stories of tomfoolery involving him and his brother Tony.

Frank and Mabel were charter parishioners of both St. Jude and St. Patrick Catholic Churches, where they were avid church league duckpin bowlers, earning trophies still proudly on display many years after hanging up their bowling shoes. Frank and his cronies were St. Patrick volunteer Arimatheans and “Collection Counters” who gathered in the basement of the church rectory on Monday evenings to count the weekend collection, but more for the friendly revelry.

He was a skilled amateur carpenter whose workshop produced so many toys for children that Santa was envious. And he helped to renovate the Party Room at the Rosensteel Chapter for the Knights of Columbus, where he was an active member of the Retired Men’s Club, HLM Knight and a very competitive Friday night pinochle player.

Frank was the neighborhood “Snowblower Man”, who couldn’t stop himself after plowing his own driveway and sidewalk. He just had to plow the whole street--and edge every neighbor’s sidewalk grass in the summertime--maybe because he was just a nice guy, but probably because he didn’t trust anyone else to do as good a job. Frank was the neighbor with the perfect yard, where weeds knew better than try to grow. Unfortunately, the local racoons, rabbits and deer knew Frank’s vegetable garden was the best restaurant in town to feast on succulent tomatoes, zucchinis and green peppers, and Frank and the critters were at constant war, despite the inviting St. Francis statue on prominent display.

At 95, Frank managed to outlive most of his old friends. But the good news is that Harry, Tina, Art, Marge, Tony, Barbara, Warren, Jo, Jack, Joan, Lou, Carmen, Walter, Irene and Marge have saved him a seat at heaven’s pinochle table. The bad news is that Art says some are still cheating.