Obituary of Fred Rossi

Fredrick Joseph Rossi was born April 28th, 1931 in Park Slope, Brooklyn, New York to Rosalie and Joseph Rossi. Fred had three sisters: Anne, Elaine, and Gloria. While riding the bus down 75th street, Fred’s mother met her future daughter in-law, Frances DiPisa. After dating for sometime, they became engaged, but the war called Fred to service. At the age of 20, Fred served in the Korean War for two years and then married Frances upon his return. They were then married in 1953 for 46 happy years until her passing in 1999. Fred had two children with Frances: Rosann and Joseph Rossi. From there, he gained four grandchildren: Edward Joseph Abdenour, Dana Marie Abdenour, Lucia Francesca Rossi, and Joseph Vincent Rossi II—who all called him “Poppy”. He also has four great grandchildren and one on the way. There’s nothing that meant more to him than his family. Every Sunday he would bring his grandchildren to Church for catholic mass. Besides a veteran, he was a passionate butcher just like his father and those before him. He owned his own butcher shop that was passed down by his father and grandfather, “Rossi’s Meat Market”, which then became “Rossi’s Meat & Catering”. The business ran for over three decades and served patrons such as the Brooklyn Dodgers and Joe DiMaggio. Fred loved to drive and loved cars, he enjoyed frequent trips to Atlantic City and Lancaster Pennsylvania. Football was a major passion from his childhood as a player and then as a long-time fan. Growing up in an Italian family, his favorite food was spaghetti and meatballs, and his favorite music consisted of Mario Lanza, Jimmy Roselli, and Jerry Vale. However, whenever he was with dogs, he couldn’t help but smile. He always appreciated their companionship and treated them like a member of the family. Although he was a self-proclaimed “wise guy”, he was also quite the lady charmer—he was admired by all the nurses who cared for him. He loved to make people laugh. He was also known to be very hard working and willing to sacrifice for his family. Fred passed away on May 11, 2021, in Seaview Nursing Home at 90 years old. Visitation at the Matthew Funeral Home, Inc., 2508 Victory Boulevard, on Sunday, from 2:00 to 5:00 and 7:00 to 9:00 pm. Services will be conducted in the funeral home on Sunday at 8:00 pm and Monday at 10:00 am. Interment will follow in Resurrection Cemetery. Due to Covid, all visitors must wear masks, practice social distancing and be mindful that due to current capacity limitations, there may be a small wait to visit.