Frank Thomas Dena's Obituary
Frank Thomas passed away Wednesday, August 27, 2025. He was a devoted only son of Tom and Elsie Dena. Frank was born and raised in Westbury, Long Island, New York. He loved sports, played high school football and baseball. He attended St. John’s University and was an enthusiastic fan of the Red Storm, all the university’s sports teams.
Frank was an avid golfer, and a studious follower of all the top players and tournaments. His love and scholarship of baseball, football, men’s, and women’s basketball, led to a sports consulting business that included a regular newspaper column in USA Today.
Frank was a people person and naturally found his way into the hospitality business where, over a lengthy management career, he served as a restaurant director of high-profile nightclubs in New York City. After moving to Culpeper, Virginia decades ago, he continued in the hospitality service industry managing several country clubs in the area. He had a talent for designing restaurant menus, creating special events, promoting, and increasing golf club memberships along with having a special gift for always remembering guests and members names, a man friendly and welcoming to all, making each person feel like the most important in the room.
A music aficionado, he was often listening to his favorite classical composer, Franz Joseph Haydn, or jazz balladeer, Johnny Hartman, as well as Doo-Wop groups from the 1950’s era, to which he belonged. An ardent lover of dachshunds, he enjoyed many over the years and spoiled them with home cooked elbow macaroni. But more than anything, Frank loved his family.
Frank is survived by his beloved daughter, Kristen Dena King; son in law, Ed King; sister, Lisa Dena Maldonado; his devoted, long-term caretaker, niece, Susan Gloudeman; nephew and surrogate brother, Mark Gloudeman, and their children, nieces, Lauren and Julia Gloudeman, and nephews, Matthew Gloudeman and wife, Katie, and Nick Gloudeman and wife, Maggie.
Frank valiantly struggled with Parkinson’s Disease for more than 10 years. If you would like to support a valuable program that helped him and other group members in a boxing program designed to help people stricken with Parkinson’s to increase their balance, strength, and endurance as well as fostering encouragement and camaraderie among group participants, please follow the link below and note in memory of Frank Dena, https://wl.donorperfect.net/weblink/weblink.aspx?name=E357383&id=3
A celebration of life will be held from 4:00-6:00 p.m. Friday, September 5, 2025 at Found and Sons Funeral Chapel, 850 Sperryville Pike, Culpeper.
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