From Dan Rich

South Bend Tribune 12/22/2005

Obituary: Joseph S. Fragomeni

July 15, 1924 -- Dec. 20, 2005

Joseph Samuel Fragomeni, 81, of Pulling Street, South Bend, died Tuesday afternoon, Dec. 20, following an illness.

Survivors include his wife of 55 years, Joyce; children, Joseph (Gail) Fragomeni Jr. of South Bend, Judi (Scott) Fragomeni-Kendrick of Tucson, Arizona, and Jennifer Fragomeni of Wauseon, Ohio; sisters, Mary (Robert) Lukes, Helen (Frederick) Shuman and Rosalie (Jerry) Ball; and brother, Vince. Surviving him also are his beloved grandchildren, Jason (Laura) and Ashley Fragomeni, and Clayton Barnes; and great-granddaughter, Helena Fragomeni.

Preceding him in death were his father, Domenico; mother, Teresa; sister-in-law, Charmaine; and godfather, Salvadore Peccoraro.

The "simple Italian peasant" came a long way: from shining shoes to helping his poor family get by, he rose to head one of the Midwest's largest architectural/engineering firms.

Joe was born to Italian immigrants, Teresa (Morabito) and Domenico Fragomeni, in Nanty Glo, Pennsylvania, on July 15, 1924. The family moved to Niles, Ohio, and then in 1939 to South Bend, where his parents lived out their lives in their Italian neighborhood in River Park.

As part of Adams High School's first graduating class of 1942, Joe became the school's first all-around athlete: he won six letters in three sports in his two years there.

On a football scholarship at Ball State in Muncie, Indiana, he won his letter in football his freshman year and dreamt of becoming a professional football player. He also represented Muncie as their light heavyweight open boxing champion in the Chicago Midwest Regionals.

Then World War II intervened and, after spending a couple years boxing for the troops, he was sent overseas. The course of his life changed forever when he was seriously injured on January 5, 1945, in the Battle of the Bulge. He lost part of his left foot and, with it, his dream of an athletic career. His injuries required numerous surgeries and he spent the next several years in rehabilitation. The surgeries continued throughout his life: he probably had over 20 altogether.

Yet, "disabled" was not how he chose to view himself, to live his life; all his efforts went to change that label to "winner." He succeeded.

Joe got his degree in architectural engineering at the University of Colorado at Boulder, where he met Joyce Goeken, who he married on June 24, 1950. After a brief stint as a Washington, D.C., lobbyist for Structural Clay Products, Joe and Joyce moved to South Bend to raise their family. They bought the Night Fall Motel on County Line Road, which they managed as Joe began working for Charles W. Cole and Son, working his way from outside crew member through the ranks to top management. Among the projects he worked on were the Toll Road and the Potawatomi Zoo.

Then, on January 2, 1973, Joe and his partners announced their purchase of Cole, changing its name to Cole Associates, Inc. As the largest shareholder, Joe became president and chairman of the organization, building the company making less than a million dollars a year in '73 into a ten-million-dollar business in less than 10 years. In 1991 they celebrated their 75th anniversary as the largest architectural/engineering firm in Indiana.

He tried to retire a couple times, but one of his passions was contributing his talents, skills and experience wherever it was needed, and he was in demand. He created his own management/consulting company, Joseph S. Fragomeni, Inc. "Retirement" meant only that he didn't have to report to the office at a certain time and could leave whenever he chose; he had a little more time for golf, but was almost as busy as ever.

Part of the reason he was so busy is that he was on the boards of more than 25 organizations, often playing a very active role. He was on the organizing board for the South Bend School Boosters, co-founder of the South Bend Alumni Association, and served on CERT (Community Educational Round Table). He was chairman for decorations and design of the 1987 International Special Olympics held in South Bend; a founding member of the National Society of Architectural Engineers; involved with Junior Achievement; and on the boards of the American Heart Association, the University of Notre Dame Father Sorin Club, South Bend Art Center, the Indiana State Chamber of Commerce and the South Bend Business Development Commission. Joe was a member of the Sigma Chi national fraternity and the Indiana Association of Cities and Towns. He was elected as a life member of the Consulting Engineers of Indiana, where he also served as president and director of membership for the State of Indiana, and was a council member of Sacred Heart Church. Most recently, he spearheaded the construction of the Studebaker Museum Project through his involvement with the South Bend Heritage Foundation.

Joe was inducted into the South Bend Hall of Fame in 2000, and previously served as a director for many years with the Italian-American Heritage Society of Notre Dame/Michiana. In 1986, his alma mater, Ball State, honored him as a University Fellow.

Joe published his autobiography in 1999 to commemorate his parents, his family, and as a reminiscence of his many challenges, successes, and more than anything, the beloved people in his life. He was very sentimental and would often tear up from emotion when talking about the friends and family he'd been close to throughout his life. He stayed in contact with many of his teachers, coaches, and childhood friends, garnering more friends and business associates through his whole life.

His career included a lot of relationships in the state and local community; he was a natural at politics and the public relations/sales aspects of the job. His friends included governors, mayors, and business leaders. As he put it on the occasion of his 75th birthday celebration and publication of his biography:

"Even though I've often been something of a loner, going my own way even within my family, what has meant most to me are the relationships of the special people in my life: the support and guidance of my teachers and coaches; the fraternity of schoolmates and athletic pals; the friendship of business associates and political figures; the fun and fellowship of my Final Four friends, who are all here tonight; and the loyal love of my wonderful family, and especially my beloved wife. She took me 50 years ago, knowing I was crippled, and made me whole and gave me confidence."

Though he was gone working a lot while his children were growing up, the family took some memorable vacations together, many throughout the West. Horses have been an integral part of the Fragomeni family. They built a 33-acre horse ranch on New Road, where they lived from 1979 until last year, that included a windmill, fresh-water ponds, a horse barn with indoor and outdoor arenas, and where they had as many as five horses at one time.

Once he could no longer play sports, spectator sports became one of his favorite leisure activities; another was reading. "When I'm reading, I just feel like I'm in Heaven," he once said.

When one thinks of Joe, one thinks of passion. Joe worked hard and played hard. Joe's hot Italian temper was legend, but so was his generosity.

Many of us will remember Joe dressed in his classy way -- "dapper" comes to mind -- in one of the cars he loved, from his first '47 Chevy to his late model Lincolns and Mustang. We'll see his ready smile, feel his enthusiastic embrace, hear his upbeat voice. He always wanted to know how we and ours were doing, and if he could help in any way.

From his book, Padrone: Reminiscent of Joseph's many-colored coat in the Bible, Joe once said, "If someone had to draw a line that represented my life, it would be a very wide line, multicolored."

The threads are many: the drive, the temper, love of people, devotion to family, salesmanship, ego, independence and love of solitude, athletic ability. Joe was guarded, authoritarian, moody, loved a good time, a good challenge, political wheeling and dealing, the finer things in life.

His landscape was strewn with work, money, sports architecture, business, "velvet hammers," and nice cars. In his palette were all the colors that are love and anger and generosity, warmth and tenacity, pride, perfectionism and passion, image, flair, friendship and amore.

There was an Italian name Joe

In the limelight wherever he'd go;

Ageless and strong,

Not often wrong,

A man many are grateful to know.

It's comforting to remember that he said many times, "If I die today, my dreams have been fulfilled." A few years ago, Joe said, "Each day has meaning for me. I live every day like it could be the last day. I'm finding more and more that I'm running out of time." Yet on other occasions, he would feel he was "going to live forever."

Joe will live forever in the memories of those who were lucky enough to know him, in the histories of many organizations and companies, and most of all, in our hearts.

Friends may call from 4 to 8 p.m. today in the Palmer Funeral Home, 3718 South Michigan St., South Bend, and one hour prior to services in St. Anthony's. Services will be held at 10:00 a.m. Friday in St. Anthony DePadua Catholic Church, 2120 E. Jefferson Blvd., South Bend. Graveside services and burial will follow at Fairview Cemetery, Mishawaka.

In lieu of flowers, donations in his name may be made to the Joseph S. Fragomeni Sr. Founders Scholarship, South Bend Alumni Association, 634 Main, South Bend, IN 46601. E-mail -SBAA@sbcsc.k12.in.us.