Frank D. Stagnitta's Obituary
Frank Daniel Stagnitta of Syracuse, NY, passed away peacefully in his sleep at Upstate University Hospital, during the morning hours of Friday, January 27th 2023, after a lengthy battle with end-stage renal disease. Frank was 74 years old.
Frank was born in Syracuse, NY on August 8th, 1948, to beloved parents, Frank J. Stagnitta and Eva M. Stagnitta (nee, Giarrusso), and raised alongside sisters, Diane and Carol. Frank lived a full life which was driven by his love of music, both jazz and classical, along with his passion for playing the piano - which made him a unique generational talent. His innate talent for music was recognizable at an early age while playing the accordion. His professional career began in his mid-teens when he started playing the piano. Frank played on many local broadcasts in the late 50s and early 60s where he won numerous musical competitions. This was the start of a lifelong career in which Frank would make a name for himself in the local and international jazz scene.
In 1972, Frank met and married Terry Ferrara (nee, Walrath), where he took up residency in Florida for a brief time. His daughter, Shani, who he lovingly nicknamed “Fauve,” was born in 1973. Battling with great strength, he was able to see her turn 50 earlier this year.
In 1976 he relocated to New York City, where he met Martha Patricia (“Pat”) Gideon. In 1983 both moved to Fayetteville, Arkansas where the two were later married. He and Gideon spent years sharing their talents with one another, pairing Frank’s piano compositions with Pat’s memorable singing voice. Sadly, Gideon died four weeks before him in December 2022. Despite divorcing, the two remained close over the years. It was in Arkansas that Frank catalogued his future album, Remembrance, transferring the work from reel-to tape to cassette in 1985, which would later be remastered for a studio release in 2009. Frank also had an unbelievable talent for writing classical compositions. He undertook the tedious task of handwriting scores by hand without the aid of a piano. He would spend hours sitting at a park near his home in Fayetteville, Arkansas writing out instrumental parts for 48 different instruments and to date has written 51 Opuses.
In 1987 Frank moved to the Netherlands with Gideon to further pursue their respective careers in the arts. He spent 15 years teaching at Koninklijk Conservatory in The Hague and performing at jazz festivals throughout Europe with musicians Sal Nistico, Rachel Gould Quintet, Domagoy Ralasic, Gijs Hendriks, Douglas Sides, and Benny Bailey. Other collaborators included musical talents from his hometown and around the world Joe Riposo, Barry Fairbanks, Joe Stagnitta, Jack Fragomeni, B.J. Jansen, Matt Vacanti, Karl Sterling, Danny Hayes, Bob Bodley, John Betsch, Chet Baker, Zoot Sims, Phil Woods, Woody Shaw, Charles McPherson, Mingus Dynasty, Barbara Morrison, Eddie Gomez, and Tom Harrell.
Frank returned to Syracuse, NY in the early 2000s and would continue to work with local musicians until mid-2010. In 2005 he was the recipient of a Syracuse Area Music Award (‘The Sammys’) in the category of Best Jazz. Frank contributed to and was featured on five studio-released albums, including Remembrance (2008), All the Best (2008), Wish (2009), Groove Yard (2009) and Syracuse Connection (2009), the latter of which was distributed for a global audience. Collaborating with Frank was a highlight for those he worked with. Upon the release of Syracuse Connection in 2009, Jansen told Syracuse.com, “I feel very blessed to have been able to record another album with Frank Stagnitta. Frank is one of the most under-known jazz pianists of his generation.” Frank cited his musical inspirations as Thelonius Monk, Bill Evans, Count Basie, Alban Berg, Alexander Scriabin and Frederick Delius.
Frank was a storyteller through his piano - often pulling inspiration from what he observed and loved - whether it was ‘Dis-Pencer,’ inspired by his daughter’s yappy chihuahua, or ‘Kay’s Great Day,’ for his friend Kay Gruss. Frank had a talent for finding beauty in the world around him, despite battling clinical depression for many years.
Music and entertainment writer for The Post Standard, Mark Bialczak, said of Remembrance, “you can hear the magic.” On the near 12-minute track, ‘Desperado,’ Bialczak comments “everybody has their big part, but Stagnitta's piano rules at the end.” A favorite track on this same album, ‘Shani,’ named for his daughter, “shows Stagnitta’s grace and power.”
While it had been many years since Frank last touched the piano, he still found joy in listening to classical music, watching Turner Classic Movies, The Twilight Zone, The Godfather and spending time in the company of his daughter and sisters.
Frank is survived by his mother, Eva Stagnitta, his sisters, Diane Dillon (Paul) and Carol Wendt (Richard), his daughter, Shani Stagnitta, three grandchildren, Carina Sorrentino, Cassandra Sorrentino, and Kobe McKinney, numerous nieces and nephews and many cherished friends throughout the music world. His father, Frank J. Stagnitta, preceded him in death.
Frank is eternally memorialized through his years of musical work and composition on the piano, and his 2009 album, Wish, can still be enjoyed today by friends and family.
Family and friends may call from 1:00-2:00 pm on Friday February 3, 2023, at Thomas J. Pirro Jr. Funeral Home, 3401 Vickery Rd. (corner of Buckley Rd.) North Syracuse, NY. Frank will be laid to rest beside his father at Woodlawn Cemetery Mausoleum in Syracuse, NY.
Thank you to the teams at AllAboutJazz and Syracuse.com for their previous coverage of Frank’s life and work.
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