April 6, 2018 at 1:53 p.m.
AWARD WINNERS
Volunteering kept them spry
Honorees are nominated by religious institutions, organizations, friends, family, legislators and others. The Evangelist spoke to two of the Catholic award recipients who have benefited parishes in the Albany Diocese with their time and talents.
MARIE FRANKE
Marie Franke, 86, still uses her classically-trained operatic voice to console mourners at funerals at Mater Christi and St. Francis of Assisi parishes in Albany. She launched a thrift shop at the former St. James parish, now part of St. Francis of Assisi, and helped with its food pantry and hospital ministry. She has volunteered with the Lifeline Emergency Alert program at St. Peter's Hospital in Albany and the alumni board of The College of Saint Rose in Albany.
Mrs. Franke grew up in Albany as a parishioner of St. Anthony's Church, which closed in 1972. She started piano lessons at six years old and eventually studied voice at Saint Rose, landing a gig singing once a week on the WGY radio station. She later studied opera with prominent musicians like Boris Goldovsky, Aaron Copeland and Leonard Bernstein and then taught music in 22 Albany city schools over three decades.
Throughout her adulthood, Mrs. Franke played the organ and sang at morning Masses at several Albany parishes.
"I think I've sung at every church in the city," including several that have since closed, she said. "I was singing all my life, and I continued. It's very uplifting."
Singing "keeps you busy [and] completes your life," continued Mrs. Franke, who has been a widow for 33 years. "It helps me through a lot of tense situations."
These days, Mrs. Franke said she has stopped most of her volunteering because "I've been around a long time and I'm getting tired," but plans to sing at funerals for as long as possible. She enjoys lunch with friends, musical events and time with her four children and three grandchildren. She was surprised by the award.
"I feel very humble," she said. "I don't think I deserve it."
JOSEPH GRIMALDI SR.
A fellow Catholic awardee, Joseph Grimaldi Sr., reacted similarly to his award.
"I did it all because I wanted to, not because of this big commendation," Mr. Grimaldi said of his volunteering in Rensselaer, where he attends St. John the Evangelist and St. Joseph's parish. But he said the recognition is "a great honor. It shows my activities and what I did in my life."
The 86-year-old began his long life of service as an altar boy at St. John's, where he later sang in the choir, coached CYO basketball, ran a Boy Scout troop and entered the Knights of Columbus.
He became a volunteer firefighter at age 16, while adults were serving in World War II; at 17, he began his own 13-month stint in the U.S. Navy as a seaman on what he refers to jokingly as "USS Never Sail: When I was in boot camp, the war got over."
Back home, the young man worked in grocery stores and founded Rensselaer Little League, coaching for decades. He continued serving his firehouse until it closed, responding to almost every alarm and acting as president for a time. He worked for the New York Telephone Company for 35 years and had four children with his late wife.
After he retired at 62, Mr. Grimaldi threw himself into service for the Rensselaer Senior Center. He has run spaghetti dinners, driven members to appointments, served food and planned trips. He line dances with a performing group of other members at area nursing homes.
Mr. Grimaldi has also led an active political life, serving as a state democratic committeeman and a Third Ward alderman for eight years each. He said all of this, coupled with his daily Mass attendance at St. Mary's parish in Albany, keep him feeling good and thinking positively despite losing his wife 25 years ago.
"It's life," he said. "God takes care of you and helps you get going. I'm still here. I'm very lucky."[[In-content Ad]]
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