Rev. Frank L. Sarcone

Everyone who knew Frank would immediately recognize his uncompromising passion for God and a life lived in faith and joyful obedience to the God Whom he loved and served. Even as a child growing up in Port Richmond, the younger of two sons born to Patrick and Jennie (Lucci) Sarcone, Frank recalls running home from church on Sundays to listen to radio stories about Jesus! There was no television during this time. But his childhood religion grew thin and he started to ask if God was even real. Sometime afterwards, he heard a conversation about the Bible in the firehouse where he served as FDNY firefighter for twenty-one years, mostly at Engine 156 in West Brighton. Two firemen discussing the Bible led Frank to pick it up and read it for himself. This led to a very deep and personally intimate relationship with God that had now taken him onto a different path. He met and married Veronika (Firsching) Sarcone, whom he still called, “My bride” up until his passing away. 1982 was a banner year: married, later retired from FDNY, started college thirty years after graduation from McKee High School in 1952, and asked to join a church staff. His preferred method of learning was always to be self-taught, whether in sports where he excelled as a bowler, skier, golfer, sailing, and other sports, or in music as he learned guitar, ukulele, banjo, piano, concertina and harmonica. He enjoyed writing philosophical and personal poetry, writing over one hundred poems! He also enjoyed learning astronomy and physics, self-taught as well. His study of the Bible was enhanced as he started to teach himself Greek, the original language of the New Testament. One firefighter observing how much he enjoyed reading his Bible quipped, “If you studied the fire books like you do your Bible, you could become chief of the battalion. Frank’s reply? “That would be a demotion!” His study of Greek and the Bible was formalized as he obtained a Bachelor’s Degree in Bible from Northeastern Bible College, and later on a Master’s Degree from Philadelphia College of the Bible at age sixty! During this time, he worked in ministry at Calvary Temple/Gateway Cathedral where he was ordained and served as assistant pastor in charge of Pastoral Care for twelve years, during which time he developed many helping classes and support for the hurting such as substance abuse groups. After leaving Gateway Cathedral, Frank did a ministry of Christian Counseling until his retirement, always passionate to help others know and love God and develop a growing intimate relationship with Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. During all these busy years of ministry, Frank became the father of a son and daughter. His son, Frank Joseph also became a firefighter, FDNY. He married Kathryn Watson Sarcone and has two lovely sons, Elijah and Everett. Daughter Annaruth is a speech therapist and is married to Dr. Andrew Chiromeras. Together they added two more darling grandkids, Evelyn Grace and Luke Elliot. During the thirteen-year battle with cancer, God has blessed Frank with a loving, kind and fun family, and caring and concerned friends, notably at Christ Community Church in Piscataway, NJ where he and family had been attending for the past fourteen years. When recently asked, “Frank, what is it like waiting to see Jesus?”, he replied, “A dream come true!” But he leaves saddened hearts behind! Frank also leaves the legacy of having written and published two books: “The Law of Faith and the Bucking Bronco”, a memoir-type remembrance of his life in watching how God interacted with him and others throughout his life. and “Paradise, A Story of Three Trees”. This second book is about Paradise, but it did not come from his ongoing battle with cancer, but rather from the mystery of eternal life that he sought to understand once he met Jesus, his Savior, and the Savior of anyone who hears and obeys God. It is a look at God’s story from Genesis through Revelation, using unique allegories to help both the learned and novice understand truth from the Holy Scriptures. https://www.amazon.com/Law-Faith-Bucking-Bronco/dp/1478298731/ref=sxts_sxwds-bia-wc-p13n1_0?cv_ct_cx=the+law+of+faith+and+the+bucking+bronco&dchild=1&keywords=the+law+of+faith+and+the+bucking+bronco&pd_rd_i=1478298731&pd_rd_r=55036d12-04f9-4c0c-8a29-1d002a6bc164&pd_rd_w=QvLXP&pd_rd_wg=zPBHj&pf_rd_p=1da5beeb-8f71-435c-b5c5-3279a6171294&pf_rd_r=T23BFW2NG4VF3NME6P6G&psc=1&qid=1593228801&sr=1-1-70f7c15d-07d8-466a-b325-4be35d7258cc https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08BWFWSL5/ref=sr_1_13?crid=31295DW1WRTQ&dchild=1&keywords=paradise+a+story+of+three+trees&qid=1593228161&s=books&sprefix=Paradise+a+Sto%2Cstripbooks%2C147&sr=1-13 In lieu of flowers, the family would appreciate if you would continue his ministry in helping others know and love God, by getting an extra copy of his book, “Paradise, A Story of Three Trees”, and passing it on to a friend or neighbor. The book is available on Amazon. Thank you to our family, nieces and nephews, church, friends and neighbors for your overwhelming love, care, and support. It means so very much. May God bless you! A Memorial Service will be held on Wednesday at 9:30 a.m. Due to limited seating capacity and restrictions during this difficult time, the family asks that you contact them directly.. A zoom conference link will also be available to the family and friends who would like to be a part of Rev. Frank's memorial. Following the service he will be laid to rest in Moravian Cemetery. Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86112186576?pwd=aFp0d1pnQmRzOFFxKzhxRjdWbXRQQT09 Please Note the family is asking for you to share a memory of Frank on his tribute page above which means so much to them and serves as a virtual hug during this trying time, It will also be a lifelong memory for them to share with his children and grandchildren for years to come. Please Note* The Family strongly wishes for you to not send flowers or memorial gifts but to share your thoughts and memories and words of condolences with them on his tribute page here. Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86112186576?pwd=aFp0d1pnQmRzOFFxKzhxRjdWbXRQQT09

Rev. Frank L. Sarcone

April 28, 1936 - June 17, 2020