Frank Rudolph Gancitano Jr.

January 7, 1957 - October 25, 2020

Frank Rudolph Gancitano, Jr. passed away Sunday, October 25 at home in Hartsville, SC after a long battle with pancreatic cancer. Frank was born on January 7, 1957 in Milwaukee, WI to Frank Rudolph Gancitano, Sr. and Nancy Schumacher Gancitano. Frank is survived by his loving son, Davio Frank Gancitano, his dear aunt Gladys, his partner Joe Rice, his mother Nancy Gancitano, brother Dino Gancitano, nephew Rocco Gancitano, numerous cousins and many dear friends. He was preceded in death by his beloved father, Frank Gancitano, Sr. Frank was a true original. A native of Milwaukee, he loved recounting stories about the people and events he met and heard about growing up and working at his dad’s service station on Kilbourn Avenue. Frank excelled in track and swimming at Nicolet High School. Over the years, Frank lived and worked in a variety of places and in a variety of occupations: model, service station operator, realtor, caregiver, fitness instructor, substitute teacher, salesman. Whether he was living in Milwaukee, Mequon, New York City, Fort Lauderdale, Hobe Sound or Hartsville, Frank made lifelong friends everywhere he went and leaves behind so many who will miss his charm, wit and vitality. Above everything else, Frank’s favorite job and biggest accomplishment was being his son Davio’s dad. He loved his son dearly and was so proud of him. There are too many close friends to list individually, but longtime friends Lynn Enea, Nina Vitek, Marina Melberg and Tom Minzel all held a very special place in Frank’s heart. They lifted his spirits and kept him laughing - and even towards the end, he was able to make them laugh, too! Frank will be missed by many. He had the natural ability to relate to anyone – young, old, rich, poor; he always saw the person inside and went out of his way to recognize their needs and make them feel like the most special person in the world. Memorials in Frank’s honor may be made to the Darlington County Humane Society, 1705 Adoption Way, Darlington, SC 29532 or to the Milwaukee Humane Society, 4500 W. Wisconsin Avenue, Milwaukee, WI 53208.