Frank was born in rural Cresson, Pennsylvania and studied diligently to graduate 10th in his class at Mercersburg Prep School. He studied metallurgical lab work at Carnegie Tech for two years before attending St. Francis University, where he pursued a degree in Accounting and played on the golf team. Joining the National Guard after college, he quickly rose to the rank of Sergeant. Frank subsequently spent 5 years in accounting before returning home in 1965 to join the family scrap business.

In 1972, Frank and his brother, Jack, founded Jennmar and began to re-shape production and safety methods in underground mining. As President of Jennmar for 46 years, Frank is responsible for creating more than 20 patents and advancing 100+ other patents across his companies. Jennmar’s innovations in roof control design for underground mining reduced fatal mine injuries from 150 annually in 1972 to less than 5 per year by 2018. For his achievements and contributions to the field of mining, Frank was inducted into the National Coal Mining Hall of Fame in 2019.

Frank is remembered not only as a loving father and grandfather and successful business leader, but also as an extraordinarily generous philanthropist. “If you needed something, he’d give you 110% of it,” remembers his daughter, Kim. Frank was a generous benefactor of Family House, Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation, and – later – the Pitt Department of Medicine’s Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism, where he chose to give back as a grateful patient.

Carrying on Frank’s legacy are his three children: Tony Calandra and his wife Stephanie, Kara Calandra-Charbonneau, and Kimberly Calandra-Tohme and her husband Samer. Frank continues to be an inspiration for his grandchildren Ava, Gia, Frank IV, Toni, Mia, Max, Madison, Mila Marie and Julian.