Frank N. Zangari, 94, of Smithfield, Rhode Island, passed away peacefully on December 24, 2025, at the Village at Waterman Lake, Smithfield. He was the husband of the late Janice T. (Keogh) Zangari. They had been married for 62 years.
Born in Providence to Mario and Consolata (Caristo) Zangari, Frank was the youngest of five children in a proud Italian-American family whose roots trace back to Calabria, Italy. His parents instilled in him a strong work ethic, resilience, and deep devotion to family, values that guided him throughout his life. Frank often recalled family stories of sacrifice and service, including his father Mario’s military service in both the Italian and American armies, and his brother Louie’s service aboard the USS Tennessee during the attack on Pearl Harbor.
Frank grew up on Federal Hill and later, Hazael Street in Providence, where a chance neighborhood connection led him to meet the love of his life, Janice Keogh. The two married on January 19, 1952, beginning a partnership that would span more than six decades. In 1956, they settled in Smithfield, where Frank proudly lived in the same home for the rest of his life. Janice predeceased him in 2014, and Frank carried her memory with him always.
An accomplished athlete, Frank played baseball for Mount Pleasant High School and the Providence Bulletin team before spending two seasons in the St. Louis Cardinals’ D-minor league system in Albany and Thomasville, Georgia. He remained immensely proud of his baseball career throughout his life. He left professional baseball when Janice became pregnant with their first child—a decision that reflected his unwavering commitment to family.
Frank was a man of many skills. He worked as a carpenter, a trade he deeply loved, and was known for his ability to build and fix nearly anything. He later worked for the Fuller Brush Company, Custom Auto Seat Covers, and spent many years with Providence Gas Company, where he was respected and well-liked by customers and colleagues alike for his integrity and personable nature.
In his later years, Frank was fond of saying, in Italian, “La vecchiaia è carogna”—“Old age is a curse”—a phrase he remembered from his own father, always delivered with a mix of humor, honesty, and perspective.
Frank will be remembered for his devotion to family, his quiet strength, his craftsmanship, his love of baseball, and the stories he shared so generously. He leaves behind a legacy of hard work, loyalty, and love that will live on through generations. Family was at the center of everything he did.
Frank was a devoted husband and father to their four daughters, Catherine Correia and her husband David of Seekonk, Linda Zangari and her partner Salvatore Ciletti of Smithfield, Anne Carson and her husband Virgil Harris, Jr. of Silver Spring, MD, and Jane Ramos and her husband Jose of Smithfield, and a proud grandfather to Kyle, Troy, and Kendra Carson, Lucas Correia-Covert and Matthew Correia, Benjamin and Kristopher Ramos and great-grandfather to Avery Carson. He was the brother of the late Joseph Zangari, Louis Zangari, Mary Cifra, Virginia Macina.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Wednesday December 31st at 10am in St. Michael’s Church, Farnum Pike, Smithfield. Burial will be in Highland Park, Johnston. Visitation will be Tuesday December 30th from 4-7pm in the Anderson-Winfield Funeral Home, Route 44 at Greenville Common, Greenville.
In lieu of flowers, donations in his memory may be made to Alzheimer’s Association, RI Chapter, 245 Waterman Avenue, Suite 306, Providence, RI 02906 www.alz.org