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Frank William Caradonna, 74, of Delray Beach, Florida, peacefully departed this life on November 5, 2021 after a valiant battle with a long illness. Predeceased by his parents, Victor and Marie (Freglette) Caradonna, he was born in Bound Brook, New Jersey, on April 25, 1947, and raised in Roselle, New Jersey. Mr. Caradonna was a graduate of Abraham Clark High School and earned a degree in Business Management from Fairleigh Dickinson University.
Mr. Caradonna is survived, missed, and forever beloved by his wife of 33 years, Lynda Perry, children, Kelly Caradonna Harlow her husband William of Yulee, Florida, Vikki Leigh Caradonna of Palmetto, Florida, and James Victor Caradonna of Naperville, Illinois, his grandchildren, Karl Harlow, Jenna Harlow, Cara Harlow and Jaxon Caradonna. He is also survived by 2 sisters, Roseanne Solewin of Arizona and Elaine Lorenzoni of North Carolina, Brother-in-law and
Sister-in-law Timothy and Deborah Perry of Maryland, and many nieces, nephews, cousins, extended family members and very close friends whom he would call family.
In 1967, Frank Caradonna began a 54-year career in the shipping and trade industry at
Sea-Land Service, Inc., one day after becoming a first-time father. He started his career as a cube clerk working overnight in the basement offices of Sea-Land Service, located at Port Elizabeth. A young man of staunch integrity and a strong work ethic, he was able to successfully navigate a full credit load in college, a new career and fatherhood.
Mr. Caradonna rose steadily through the ranks at Sea-Land over the next 25 years. Led by a great skillset, talent and ambition, he served in numerous regional management and directorial roles across the Eastern Seaboard of the United States and, later, Asia. In 1988, Frank and Lynda relocated to Hong Kong with Sea-Land where, as Director for Regulatory Affairs & Agreements, he would form the Intra-Asia Discussion Agreement (IADA).
In 1993, Mr. Caradonna accepted the position of Senior Vice President Transpacific Trade with Orient Overseas Container Line (OOCL), repatriating to California. He remained in that position until forming his own transportation consulting firm, Pegasus Limited, and relocating to Florida in late 1999.
Frank Caradonna had a passion for life and a talent for storytelling. He enjoyed sampling food and drink from various cultures around the world, films and music of diverse genres, and literature. A proud second-generation New York sports fan, he frequently visited New York City to watch his favorite teams (Yankees, Rangers and Knicks). He passed the love of sports to his children, teaching them to score a baseball game, avoid an errant flying puck and identify a foul on the basketball court.
An avid student of history and the world, he would share his broad knowledge with anyone who was interested. His children and grandchildren often referred to him as the original search engine, always ready with an answer to your question, advice for your dilemma or a suggestion for improvement (and to defeat the whole family in one turn when playing Trivial Pursuit). They will also attest that his solutions, counsel, and ideas were always sound and sensible (more often than not, correct!).
Though he never served in the military himself, as the son of a World War II Naval Lieutenant Commander, Frank Caradonna was a proud American. He loved his country, those who served past/present and could sing every patriotic song and all the armed forces themes.
Frank Caradonna left an indelible mark on the numerous family members, friends, and business associates who knew, loved, and respected him. He was generous with his love, time, energy, resources, and wisdom. Though he generally kept the aspects of his multifaceted life segregated, he strove for quality and virtue both personally and professionally. His unwavering dedication to his industry and loyalty to his associates and clients never interfered with or diminished his utter devotion to and appreciation of his family. Mr. Caradonna has left a rich legacy, through his children and grandchildren, as well as through the company and reputation he built over the course of his lifetime.
A gathering of friends will be held on Saturday, December 11, 2021 from 10am-11am, with a celebration of life service beginning at 11am. The service will be streamed live at:
http://meet.google.com/nto-ggjz-gho
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Frank’s name to the American Diabetes Association (www.diabetes.com), and the ASPCA (www.aspca.org).
To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Frank W. Caradonna, please visit our floral store.