Francis Palaia, 80, Loving Husband, Father, Veteran, and Master of Many Trades

Francis (Frank) Palaia, 80, of Philadelphia Pennsylvania, passed away peacefully in South Carolina on July 10, 2025, surrounded by the love of his family—who will forever miss his warmth, big heart, and legendary cooking.

Being the son of Italian parents, Frank was born with the knack for feeding people, and fixing things himself.  

Frank served his country honorably in the United States Air Force, stationed in Germany, where he met his wife, Carol.   After returning home from the military, he earned an associate degree and built a diverse career, most notably as a general manager in the automotive industry and later, pursuing his love of carpentry.

Frank was a man of many skills, but his true passions were simple: cooking for the people he loved, and being near the water. A self-taught chef, he treated every meal as an expression of love (and possibly competition). Frank never saw a recipe he couldn’t improve with a few changes.  He was also a true Italian; guarding every original recipe as if it was top secret and making sure he never passed along the full list of ingredients to any of his recipes.  Although, he always made sure every guest never left hungry.

In retirement, Frank chose to pursue the life of sunshine in North Carolina where he enjoyed quiet days fishing and boating.  

Frank is survived by his devoted wife of 57 years Carol, his favorite child Francis, daughter Adrienne, daughter-in-law Jennifer, son-in-law Armand and brothers, Joseph and Michael.  He also had five adoring grandchildren. He will be remembered for his sense of humor and for making everyone feel welcomed at his table.

A private memorial will be held by the family. In Frank’s honor, please take a moment to enjoy a home cooked meal, fix something that’s broken, or tell a story that gets better every time you share it. He would have liked that.