Francis R. Modliszewski

Francis Raymond Modliszewski passed from this life on the evening of April 17, 2026. He was born in Chewton, Pennsylvania, on January 28, 1940, to Pauline (nee Kolik) and Raymond Modliszewski. Frank graduated from Lincoln High School in Ellwood City, PA, in 1958. He served 6 years in the U.S. Army and Army Reserve, traveling to Germany as part of the Army Corps of Engineers. In 1967, he married his wife, the late Gloria Cichocki, after they met at a wedding. They were married for almost 60 years. He worked as a mechanical engineer his whole professional career, and successfully patented a design to improve the handling and movement of railroad cars in industrial settings.

Frank and Gloria raised their four kids in the Chagrin Falls area, and spent several years living in the Port Clinton–Marblehead area later in life. Frank particularly loved it there, near the water. Frank liked to keep his hands busy and was usually in the midst of a project. When the kids were younger, these projects tended to center around keeping the house in one piece. Later in life, with more time on his hands, you could find him fishing, boating, painting landscapes and Ukrainian-style Easter eggs, building Christmas figurines in varying sizes out of wood, which he gave as Christmas presents, and planting gardens. Frank was proudly Polish. He knew how to dance the polka and play the accordion, and it must be said that he made a mean pierogi.

Frank is survived by his daughters, Brenda (Paul Azzolina) Modliszewski, Madaline (Chuck) Avis, Stephanie (James) Ewell, and daughter-in-law Jodie (Chris Koshar) Modliszewski; his grandchildren Emily, Ben, Nick, Michael, and Sophia Modliszewski and Aidyn Koshar; Shep Azzolina; Tori and Kyle Avis; and Joey and SadieMae Ewell; and his brother, Louis (Darlene) Modliszewski. He was preceded in death by his wife; his parents; his parents-in-law, Stephen and Frances (Perka) Cichocki; his sister, Marie Modliszewski; his brother-in-law, Greg Cichocki, husband of Camela Cichocki; and his son, Kevin.

Family and friends will be received at St. John Funeral Home, 16381 Chillicothe Road, Bainbridge Twp. OH, on Friday, May 15 from 4 p.m. – 7 p.m. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at St. Joan of Arc Church, 496 E. Washington Street, Chagrin Falls, OH 44022 on Saturday May 16 at 11 A.M. Reception at St. Joan of Arc to follow the service. Interment private.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Frank’s memory to the Knights of Columbus or the Fairmount Center for the Arts, fairmountcenter.org.