Francis Thomas Wakeham of Anne’s Choice in Warminster and formerly of Port Jefferson, NY died peacefully on Friday, January 25, 2019 surrounded by his family. He was 78.

Born in Brooklyn, NY Frank was the beloved husband of Catharine Ledwith Ashley Wakeham and the son of the late Francis Joseph and Minnie Bickford Wakeham.

Throughout his life, Frank was recognized and loved for his kind eyes, his welcoming smile, his comforting hugs, his easy-going sense of humor, his indomitable spirit, his inexhaustible work ethic, and his generous heart. He found a bond and immediate rapport with every person he ever met, and he never put himself before anyone else. He lived his life authentically, grounded in his faith and love for his family and friends.

As a child growing up in Park Slope in Brooklyn, Frank learned to work hard and play hard. He sold rags and delivered pharmacy orders to fund his passion for American Flyer model trains and started a social club, The Knights, to bring his friends together. He spent nearly every free hour outside, in the street playing stickball or in Prospect Park playing baseball and football. As a young man, Frank worked with his father building skyscrapers in New York, learning construction and engineering skills that would serve him well for the rest of his life. He attended Hunter College and earned his Bachelor of Science degree from New York Institute of Technology.

In 1965, Frank married the love of his life, Cathy, establishing the 53-year partnership that would serve as the foundation of his enduring and far-reaching legacy. Over the next half century, his passion for life, his ability to find joy in every experience, his humble generosity, and the safety and security of his gentle-giant welcoming chest and sheltering embrace touched so many hearts and created too many treasured memories to count. The reflections of his spirit and boundless love can be seen in the eyes, smiles, and hearts of his six children, 13 grandchildren, nieces and nephews, life-long friends, and so many others – keeping him alive in the minds and souls of all who knew him.

After getting the last of his six children through college and reaching his well-deserved retirement, Frank and Cathy reinvented themselves, traveling across the country in an RV, selling the house in Port Jefferson, buying a house in Florida and one in Pennsylvania, celebrating their lives and accomplishments, and spending loving time with each other, with friends, and with family. While all who knew him would certainly say he left too soon, there isn’t a single person who would say his or her life isn’t better for having had Frank in it.

Frank was preceded in death by his brother Thomas Wakeham.          

In addition to his wife Catharine, Frank is survived by his loving and devoted children: Francis G. Wakeham and his wife Nancy of Virginia Beach, VA; Frederick M. Wakeham and his wife Toni of Corpus Christi, TX; Ann “Nan” G. DeGraw of Southampton, PA; Paul T. Wakeham of Doylestown, PA; Catharine “Kit” M. Sullivan and her husband Ryan of Huntington, NY; and Ashley E. Pitts and her husband Tim of Bexley, OH. He is also survived by his sisters Linda Carroll and Janet Saunders and by his 13 grandchildren.

Relatives and friends are invited to attend his viewings on Sunday evening, January 27, 2019 from 4:00-6:00 PM in the Joseph A. Fluehr III Funeral Home, 800 Newtown-Richboro Rd. (at Holland Rd.), Richboro, PA 18954 and on Monday, January 28, 2019 from 10:00 AM until his Funeral Mass at 11:00 AM at St. Andrew Catholic Church, 81 Swamp Rd., Newtown, PA 18940. Interment will follow at Doylestown Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, contributions in his memory may be made to the charitable organization that was closest to his heart, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105.