Francesca was born in Atlantic City, New Jersey, to Italian immigrants, Luigi Frassone, a tailor, and Antoinetta Ganelli, a skilled piecework knitter. She was the fourth of six children, their first to be born in the United States. She attended St. Michael’s Elementary and Atlantic City High schools.

Atlantic City was a resort town that drew visitors by the millions, providing locals with ample job opportunities. During the war years, Atlantic City was a training site for hundreds of thousands of U.S. Army Air Force personnel. In 1943, while attending a friend’s wedding, a handsome corporal, Frank Lolich, crashed the reception and asked this beautiful young woman to dance. Not long after, they married, and upon being discharged from the Army Air Corps in 1945, they relocated to his hometown of Portland with 3 month old Frank Jr., where Francesca assimilated into a Croatian family and quickly learned Croatian as a third language. Frank and Francesca had three more children, Ron, Barbara and Patti. They enjoyed 68 years of married life before his passing in 2011.

Francesca’s social and service life centered around St. Patrick Church, Wallace Park (baseball) and her Northwest neighborhood (Slabtown). She was an active member of the Altar Society and PTA, a Cub Scout den mother, server at St. Francis Dining Hall and election day volunteer at the polls. As her children grew up and out of the house, her Italian flair for food and culinary cuisine was not lost on the children of Chapman Elementary School, where she bestowed her love through cooking as the “lunch lady.” She loved to dance, sing and listen to the vocalists and swing bands of her generation and Italian Opera. She was a founding member of a women’s group, fondly referred to as “Club,” comprised primarily of wives of Croatian and Slabtown men who grew up together. They met monthly for over 50 years, playing parlor games and exchanging gifts and advice. Four of the original 12 members remain. Frank and Francesca were devoted members of the St. Patrick parish in Northwest Portland and contributed their time and resources to help maintain and restore the historic building. They considered their friends to be family and shared countless picnics and potlucks as well as Labor Day weekends in Lincoln City together, Croatian Fraternal Lodge picnics every July and various travel excursions.

She was a devoted mother, grandmother, great-grand- mother, mother-in-law, aunt and friend. Family and love were the center of her life. Her smile was as bright as the sun and her eyes sparkled like stars. She will always be lovingly remembered as “Nona” to her 15 grandbabes whom she adored.

Francesca was preceded in death by her husband, Frank Sr.; sisters, Madelina and Pasquelina; and brothers, Giorgio, Ernesto and Edwardo.

She is survived by her children and their spouses, Frank Jr. (Cheryl), Ron (Stephanie), Barbara Lolich (Don Gardner) and Patricia Lolich-Beyer (Andrew Beyer); grandchildren, Tracy (husband, Mark), Levi, Kristian, Jennifer (husband, Erin), Erin, Seth, Dina and Leeyette; great-grandchildren, Phoebe, Evan, Conor, Abigail Francesca, Logan, Liam and Valentine; and numerous nieces and nephews.

Francesca’s service will be held at 10:30 a.m. Friday, March 6, 2015, at St. Patrick Catholic Church at N.W. 19th Avenue and N.W. Savier Street.

A private family interment will be held in Mt. Calvary Cemetery. Remembrances may be made to the St. Patrick Church Restoration Fund, 1623 N.W. 19th Ave, Portland, OR 97209 or OHSU Foundation, MS/45, P.O. Box 4000, Portland, OR 97208.
Born: November 7, 1921 Death: February 6, 2015  Share your thoughts and memories in the guestbook.