Frank E. Leone

Frank E. Leone, 83, of Butler passed away Wednesday at the VNA Inpatient Hospice in the company of his family.

He was born on March 29, 1931, in Butler and was the son of the late Bruno and Mary R. Catizone Leone.

He was a graduate of Butler High School in January 1949, where he was a member of the marching band.

Frank served four years in the U.S. Navy during the Korean War and was honorably discharged in April 1955. While serving in May 1954, he survived an explosion aboard the aircraft carrier USS Bennington (CVA-20), which killed 103 of his shipmates.

He worked for Armco Steel for 38 years, retiring from the Engineering Department in 1993. While at Armco, he was the full-time secretary of the Butler Armco independent Union, later serving as the vice president and finally the president of the Butler Armco Salary Union, a position he held until his retirement.

Frank was a member of the Saint Paul Roman Catholic Church.

An avid sports fan, he was a past member of the Butler Basketball Boosters and Butler Quarterback Club, where he served as a member of the board of directors. He was also a fan of Notre Dame football and the New York Yankees.

He was a life member of the Butler VFW Post 249, the Sons of Italy Lodge 1664, the Butler Boccie Association and the Armco Veterans Club.

Frank is survived by his wife, A. Cathy Steele Leone, who he married on Aug. 20, 1960; his son, Frank F. Leone; his brother, Dominick R. (Gretchen) Leone; his sister-in-law, A. “Marge” Travaglio, all of Butler; his brother-in-law, Michael M. Steele of Hooker; and his numerous nieces and nephews.

Leone— The friends of Frank E. Leone, who passed away Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2014, will be received from 2 to 7 p.m. Sunday in theMartin Funeral Home, 429 Center Ave., Butler.Members of the St. Paul Catholic Women and Christian Mothers will meet at 9:35 a.m. Monday at the Saint Paul Roman Catholic Church, 128 N. McKean St., Butler, to recite the rosary.A Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated at 10 a.m. Monday at the church. Entombment will follow in Calvary Cemetery.Military honors will be accorded at the cemetery by the VFW Post 249, the American Legion Post 778 and the American Legion Post 117.For more information, please visit www.martinfh.net.