Frances Margaret Tangredi

November 28, 1955 - March 14, 2022

Frances Margaret Ann-Marie Tangredi was born on November 28th, 1955 to Thomas and Celia Hollenberger in Queens, New York. Her mom Celia was 1 of 12 children, and many of them and their families resided in the area. Because of this, Frances spent most of her childhood on 12th Street in NY City, surrounded by family at all times. She would frequently recall stories of visiting aunts, uncles, and cousins on a regular basis and playing outside incessantly, always feeling safe since she knew she had family wherever she needed them. These were some of the happiest times in her life, and this proximity to family is what shaped Frances’ mentality and life, as family would become the number one focus of her life going forward. Frances’ family later moved to Howell, New Jersey and would live there for ten years. While she missed seeing her extended family every day, Frances still managed to make the best of it, as it’s in New Jersey where Frances met some of her closest, life long friends. They incessantly hung out with each other- sometimes in ways that were a bit mischievous, particularly when they would skip first period gym class to have breakfast instead during senior year- but she remained friends with wonderful people with whom she kept in touch up until she passed, often visiting them or setting up monthly Zoom meetings after Covid hit. She graduated high school in 1973 from Howell High School, and she would work for a yearbook company for some time. She met her future husband- Vincent- at a friend’s Christmas party and they immediately hit it off. They danced and talked throughout the night, and though he was wearing several inch platform shoes, she still towered over him and didn’t care, which was helpful for Vinny since he was frequently teased for his short stature. Their first date was a short time later, as they went to see the James Bond film The Man with the Golden Gun; while she wasn’t as gung ho about the James Bond franchise as Vinny was, the two bonded over their love of films- often going to the movies and catching double features that were 3-5 cents a pop. They also bonded over their love of Star Trek and sports. Frances was a life-long New York Mets fan, rooting for the “lovable losers” from their inception, which Vinny tolerated despite being a Yankees fan; it helped that the two agreed on hockey and football teams with the NY Rangers and NY Giants being their favorites, often going to Ranger games at Madison Square Garden over the years. They were married on May 13th, 1978, and the two would remain in NY City until after she gave birth to her boys. She had her first son, Anthony, in 1982 and her second son, Christopher, in 1985. It was during this time that Frances became the role she was born to become: a mother. In 1987, Frances, Vinny, and her boys moved to Massapequa Park in Long Island, New York and would remain there for 16 years. While Vinny sold insurance, Frances was a homemaker and provided a consistently nurturing environment for her two sons. She and Vinny ensured that their boys valued their education, a focus that no doubt paid off as they both became teachers. Their time was also characterized by nightly home cooked meals, weekend trips to the mall, and a plethora of little league games; while Vinny was coaching, Frances was often named as Team Mother because she always was ready to supply the kids with drinks and snacks, with pretzel rods being a major hit. She was also often engaged with her children's’ school lives, helping with nightly homework and frequently volunteering to help her sons’ teachers with class parties and trips. Some of that changed in 1995 when Vinny unexpectedly passed away from heart disease. While the loss was unfathomable, Frances did her best to put her children first and ensure that their lives were as “normal” as possible despite losing their beloved husband and father. She still made sure that dinner was ready every night and little league games were attended, but she also wanted her sons to have new experiences and opportunities, planning cruises and trips to help she and her children get away from everything and pushing them to attend college and achieve their Masters degrees after they both became teachers. Though Frances was heartbroken that Vinny was gone, she did everything she could to make her sons feel loved, safe, and complete. After wanting a change and a fresh start, Frances and her sons moved to Greensboro, North Carolina in July of 2003, and she would live in Greensboro for the rest of her life. She fell in love with the area and would ultimately find ways to start over in her way. After smoking for 40 years, she finally quit in 2009, an event that she and her family were incredibly proud of her for; she had attempted to slow down or stop several times before, but she quit for good and always looked forward to her quitting anniversary with pride. Her love of animals continued as she would adopt 3 dogs during this time- Penny, Einstein, and Princess- each of whom was spoiled with love and treats on a daily basis. She would also start working for Harris Teeter as a deli worker in 2010, and she would remain with the company until she retired in 2017. Like any other time in her life, Frances found ways of connecting with her coworkers and customers with ease, frequently knowing their life stories within the span of ten minutes. Frances developed friendships with many of her coworkers, often organizing monthly dinners with them before and after she retired so that they all could keep in touch. In 2019, Frances became a Grandmother- or Nonna- to two boys. She loved them both dearly, spending time with them by putting together sticker puzzles, visiting the Science Center, and coloring Easter Eggs. Like her children, Frances never stopped thinking about her grandchildren, always finding something to bring home for them no matter what store she visited, whether it was toys, clothes or food; the boys will forever miss their weekly cinnamon donut from Nonna, although their daddies aim to keep that tradition going to keep her memory and love alive. Until the very end of her life, Frances put family first above all things. She was a fierce presence who would do anything to protect those she loved, and she did her best to stay connected with those in her life even after they were no longer nearby. Like Monica from Friends, not only was Frances known for keeping an at times obsessively clean home, she was often the glue that kept her friends and family together, spending hours each week catching up with friends and family, setting up the next monthly dinner with friends, or the next visit up north to visit family. It is her sons’ hope that they and others will continue her traditions and values so that Frances’ immense heart will continue to beat. Frances is preceded in death by her husband Vincent, her parents Thomas and Celia, and her dogs Penny and Princess. She is survived by her sons Anthony & Christopher, their spouses Jennifer and Chris, her grandchildren James and Jeremiah, her dog Einstein, her grand-dogs Bette, Bosco, & Kennedy and grand-kitties Jack, Wesker, Trouble & Holmes, her Uncle Al, Aunt Nora, Aunt Marie, and an immense number of other aunts, uncles, and cousins of the Crispino clan. Frances’ love, warmth, and spirit will be forever missed, but it is the goal of those she left behind to remember her and carry on her legacy with laughter and love. For those able to attend, her funeral arrangements are as follows: Visitation: Monday, March 21st from 5-7 PM at Forbis & Dick Funeral Service (5926 W. Friendly Avenue, Greensboro, NC, 27410) Church Service: Friday, March 25th @ 11 AM at St. Paul, The Apostle Catholic Church (2715 Horse Pen Creek Road, Greensboro, NC, 27410) Celebration of Life: Summer 2022 in NY, Time and Place TBD