Francesco Laracca

Francesco “Frank” Laracca, 85, of East Hanover, passed away peacefully on April 23, 2026, surrounded by the love of his devoted wife and cherished children, who were by his side.

Born on March 10, 1941, in Minturno, Italy, Frank immigrated to the United States in 1960. He initially lived in the Oranges before settling in East Hanover in 1968, where he and his wife, Nancy, raised their two sons and three daughters. While he remained deeply proud of being Italian, Frank also took great pride in becoming a naturalized United States citizen in 2007.

As a teenager in Italy, Frank was a semi-professional soccer goalkeeper, a passion he continued after arriving in the United States, playing in the New Jersey Italian-American and German-American soccer leagues. One of the founding members of the East Hanover Soccer Club and later a high school and collegiate coach, Frank furthered his love of the sport and passion for mentoring kids. He often spoke with pride about serving as a torchbearer during the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome.

Professionally, Frank was the longtime owner of L&K Tool & Machine Co. in Pine Brook, New Jersey, a business he led with dedication for more than 30 years. He specialized in precision prototypes for major pharmaceutical companies and even completed work for NASA. He was also a dedicated member of the Montville Rotary Club, where he once served as president.

Frank was the beloved husband of 60 years to Maria Annunziata “Nancy” Laracca (née Sementa). He was a devoted father to Frank Pasquale Laracca and his girlfriend, Claudia; Linda Algieri and her husband, Patrick; Marco Laracca and his wife, Kristen; Lucia Cesaro and her husband, John; and Andria DiOrio and her husband, Glen. He was the adored nonno to sixteen grandchildren: Gabriela and Frankie Laracca; Haley, Olivia, and Isabella Algieri; Sienna, Cristiana, and Alessandra Laracca; Victoria, Cristian, Matteo, and Luca Cesaro; and Dominic, Lillian, Talia, and Angelo DiOrio.

He was the dear brother of Gerardo and his wife, Rosaria; Vincenzo and his wife, Aurea; Vittorio and his wife, Josephine; and Giovanni and his wife, Jeanette. He is also survived by many loving in-laws, nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.

Frank was predeceased by his parents, Pasquale and Lucia; his siblings Gaetano, Antonia, Mario, and Gabriella; and several in-laws, most recently, his sister-in-law, Filomena.

He will be remembered for his unwavering devotion to his family, his love of gardening (especially caring for his fig trees), time spent in LBI, clamming and seine fishing along the beach, as well as the lasting impact he made on all who knew him.

Visitation at the Leonardis Memorial Home, Inc., 210 Ridgedale Avenue, Florham Park on Monday, April 27th from 4-7pm.  The funeral mass will be held on Tuesday, April 28th at St. Rose of Lima Church in East Hanover at 9:45am, followed by the interment at Gate of Heaven Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Frank’s name to Arianna’s Angels by visiting:  https://www.ariannasangels.com/ or sending a check to Arianna's Angels, Inc., PO Box 94, East Hanover, NJ 07936.

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