David Richard Francescani, 81, passed away peacefully on November 24, surrounded by his family. He was strong and kind and wise, a natural leader with a mischievous sense of humor.
Dave was born in Brooklyn on Oct. 5, 1942, the third child to Carmen Dolores Rodriguez and Carlos Francescani, who immigrated to the United States from Panama — where Dave spent many summers in his youth. When he was a child, the family — including Dave’s older brother and sister, Charles and Edna — moved to Andrew Road in Manhasset. Dave attended St. Mary’s grade school and high school, where he met his future wife Maureen McGratty in the eighth grade, after throwing a snowball at her. He graduated from the University of Notre Dame with an engineering degree in 1964, and graduated from Notre Dame School of Law in 1967. He married Maureen at St. Mary’s in February, 1967, and a year later they welcomed their first child, Donna. The young family moved to Port Washington and grew to include two more children — Christopher and Mary Ellen — and in 1973, Nora was born. That year the family moved to Plandome, where Dave and Maureen raised their kids in the same community where they had grown up, full of their own high school friends who were also raising families. Dave and Maureen were married for 44 years.
Dave’s career began at the Atomic Energy Commission in Washington D.C., and he went on to enjoy a successful legal career in private practice, specializing in intellectual property law. Dave was a partner at the law firm Darby & Darby from 1969 to 1986, and again from 1992 to 1998. From 1986 to 1992, he served as general counsel and executive vice president of J.J. Kenny Co. Inc, a financial services firm specializing in municipal bonds. Dave launched his own law firm, Francescani & Hayes, before being recruited to lead the New York office of Fish & Richardson as managing principal, a position he held for eight years, before his retirement in 2016.
Dave was a gifted athlete, excelling in tennis and paddle tennis at Plandome Country Club. After buying a summer home on Dune Road in Westhampton in 1980, the family joined Westhampton Country Club, where Dave served on the club board and worked for many years on his beloved golf game. He played golf with a dear set of friends right up until last summer. He skied into his 70s.
After his wife Maureen passed away in 2011, Dave relocated to Remsenburg, where he met and later married Lori LaMura at Immaculate Conception in August, 2014. In the years that followed, Dave and Lori made a happy home together on South Country Road with Lori’s two sons, John (Jack) and Nicholas, who were teenagers at the time. In his early 70s, Dave found himself back on the high school sports circuits, cheering on his stepsons — to whom he grew very close. Fall weekends were spent watching football, especially Notre Dame games. Dave and Lori enjoyed an active social life, competitive bowling leagues and many wonderful travels abroad.
Throughout his life, Dave’s Catholic faith was central to how he lived and raised his family. He was a longtime pro bono legal counsel to the sisters running Our Lady of Grace Montessori School in Manhasset. He grew up at St. Mary’s and later became a daily communicant and lector at Immaculate Conception — where he was a member of the parish finance council, and with Lori served in the parish’s food pantry program.
Besides his faith, family mattered most to Dave. He took great pride in the accomplishments of his children and stepsons, and never tired of hearing what his eight beloved grandchildren were up to —whether it was a major accomplishment or a just funny anecdote.
He is dearly missed by his family and his many friends and colleagues. Dave was predeceased by his first wife Maureen Francescani, and his brother Charles. He is survived by his wife, Lori Francescani, his children Donna Byrne (Matthew), Chris Francescani, Mary Ellen Francescani (Gerald Lapp) and Nora Skinner (David), his grandchildren Anabelle, Henry and Maisy Lapp, Luke, George and John Skinner and Bridget and Thomas Byrne, as well as his sister Edna Jameson, his stepsons and numerous nieces and nephews.
A wake will be held at Werner & Rothwell Funeral Home in Westhampton Beach 0n Friday, Dec. 1, from 2-4pm and 7-9pm. A funeral mass will be held at 12:30 pm at Immaculate Conception in Quiogue on Saturday, Dec. 2, followed by a burial and a reception.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Immaculate Conception Community Food Pantry or East End Hospice Kanas Center.
Staff Writer on Jan 11, 2024