Obituary of Emil Frankola

Emil Frankola 

December 19, 1943 - December 20, 2024

Emil Frankola, 81, passed peacefully on December 20, 2024 in Garden City, New York, with family by his side. 

He is survived by his beloved wife, Margaret Frankola (née Callaghan), his daughters, Deborah Brown (Greg Wood) of West Babylon, Stefanie Cappellino, NP (Dr. Anthony Cappellino, MD) of Sayville, and Jennifer Frankola-Crawford, Esq. (Jared Crawford) of Manhattan and his sister Mirna Juranić of Kršan, Istria, Croatia. 

Proud grandfather of FDNY Firefighter Kevin Brown (Renee), Justin Brown (Kendyl), Dr. Anthony Cappellino, DO, US Marine Corps 1st Lieutenant Alexander Cappellino, Aidan Cappellino, and Hope Crawford (age 8). Great-grandfather to Fiona Quinn Brown (born November 19, 2024 and awaiting great-grandson Brown any day. 

Emil was born on a snowy December 19, 1943 on the family farm in the village of Čepić in Istria, Croatia. He emigrated to the United States in 1964. He met his wife Margaret (originally from County Sligo, Ireland) at a dance in midtown Manhattan. They were married in 1966 and moved to Brooklyn. They raised their family in Queens and Long Island, New York spending their summers at the Four Green Fields in the Catskills. In his early days, Emil was a trained chef and worked in kitchens and restaurants throughout New York City including the famed Rainbow Room where he collected autographs of movie stars. Always handy and with an entrepreneurial spirit, Emil later owned a successful contracting business. He spoke 7 languages and was an original 1984 founder of the cultural and charitable Čepič Sports Club, named after his home village. 

He and Margaret retired to an ocean view condo in Long Beach, New York where they lived for 20+ years. In his retirement, you could find Emil traveling the world with his wife, gardening, playing soccer, sudoku, fishing off the Magnolia Blvd pier, attending dinner dances at the Irish American Center in Mineola, watching his beloved Islanders, getting certified in aerial yoga, cheering on his grandsons at their Chaminade football games, or collecting seashells with his granddaughter, Hope. 

He was preceded in death by his parents Adolfo and Domenica and his siblings: US Army Cpl Nino Frankola, Flora Kenul (Anton), Elia Viskic (Leo), Bruno Frankola (Eliana), and his nephew Thierry Frankola. 

He will be remembered for his friendly, adventurous, generous and inclusive spirit, and epic dance skills and party tricks. 

In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests donations to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society or the Emerald Isle Immigration Center in honor of Emil’s memory.