Frank DiElsi

Frank DiElsi, after a long storied life, passed away peacefully on March 23, 2025 in Syracuse, New York. Born on April 28, 1948 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Loving son of the late Pasquale and Lucy (Patrone) DiElsi.

The first grandson born into a large family he grew up surrounded by aunts, uncles and cousins. His fondest memories were of summers spent in Wildwood, NJ with family, and later in Ocean City, NJ with friends.Frank attended Temple University in Philadelphia and College of Emporia, in Emporia, Kansas. He was captivated by the Golden Age of Television as a child, and was able to recount, for his entire life, details of movies, variety shows, cartoons, science fiction, and the artists/directors who made them all possible. With ambitions to become a stage actor, he moved to NYC and honed his skills under the direction of famed actress and respected acting teacher Uta Hagen, leading to performances on the stage. Frank shifted to Los Angeles, where he worked in film, stage, and television. As a longtime member of the Screen Actors Guild, a search on IMDb.com will bring up his career in film and television, but doesn’t include decades of work as an understudy, or as a script coach for leading television actors, nor will it mention his second career as a world class professional poker player. He was an intelligent man, and made it his business to know the history of any and all of his interests.  His interest in music was characteristic for a young man coming of age in the early years of Motown and Rock & Roll. Musical interest extended to classical, broadway musicals, film scores, and Frank was a true opera buff. As a musician, he favored the guitar. Later in life he added the keyboard, and the whimsical ukulele composing and performing humorous but biting political satire, set to the tunes of well known songs. Frank never missed an east coast Christmas because his big heart held great affection for family that gathered around the dining room table. His family of friends were were just as dear to him.

Frank is survived by his sister Maria DiElsi of Cazenovia, NY and her life partner Tom Lampros, brother Anthony Joseph (AJ) DiElsi, his wife Caroline and their children, Anthony DiElsi, Luke DiElsi, and Michela DiElsi, all of Skippack, Pennsylvania.

Beachside memorial and scattering of his ashes will happen later this year in New Jersey and California.

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