Frank Cuomo, Jr., 76, of Follansbee, WV, passed away peacefully at 12:15 a.m. on Sunday, December 18, 2016, at his residence under the care of his loving family and Amedisys Hospice.

Frank was born on September 12, 1940, at home on Hooverson Heights, Follansbee, WV. He was the son of the late Frank and Anna (Tornifolio) Cuomo.

Frank is survived by his loving wife of 50 years, Sharon (DeLuca); his son, WV Circuit Court Judge Jason A. Cuomo and his wife, Dana (Evans) of Follansbee, WV; his daughter, Dana (Cuomo) Merenda and her husband Ross, of New York City, NY; four grandchildren, Caitlin Lee Cuomo, Evan Michael Cuomo, Melina Marie Merenda, and a grandchild to be born in February, 2017; two sisters, Josephine Norman of Columbus, OH, and Shirley Jean Cuomo of Follansbee, WV; a brother, Pastor Joseph F. Cuomo, of Follansbee, WV, whom Frank supported and encouraged his work in the ministry; and three nephews and a niece. He was preceded in death by his sister, Dr. Ruth Ann (Cuomo) Miller and her husband, Perry Miller, Sr. Frank was a member of the Christian Assembly of Follansbee.

Frank was a 1958 graduate of Follansbee High School where he was a member of the 1956 WV State Baseball Champs and the 1958 Weirton American Legion Baseball Champs. He graduated from WVU in 1962 with a B.S. in Industrial Engineering and belonged to the Alpha Pi Mu Honorary National Engineering Society. In 1966, Frank obtained a Doctorate of Jurisprudence from the WVU College of Law with top honors (Order of the Coif and Law Review Editor).

Following law school, Frank joined the law firm of Pinsky, Mahan, Barnes and Watson, and he soon became a full partner. In 1979, Frank became a sole practitioner until his son, Jason, joined his practice in 1996. As a trial lawyer, Frank earned many victories, and he helped establish several landmark decisions in the Supreme Court of the State of West Virginia. They included a worker’s right to present a claim for suicide as a compensable work injury, an indigent’s right to government-paid blood tests following an arrest for a suspected DUI, and a case helping to solidify the defense of “battered woman’s syndrome” against a murder charge.

Frank was the first President of the Brooke County Young Democrats, the VP of the Brooke County Bar Association, a 50-year member of the WV and PA State Bar Associations, licensed to practice law before the United States Supreme Court and the Northern and Southern Districts of the Federal Courts of WV, a member of the WV Trial Lawyers Association, a member of the Follansbee Chamber of Commerce, and a past Kiwanis Club member.

For 22 years (1967-1989), Frank served diligently and honorably as the Follansbee City Attorney. In the 1980’s in particular, Frank was instrumental in helping the City obtain an $8.75 million grant to establish Wheeling-Nisshin. Frank was also key in helping the City win a court battle that established the annexation of the Coke Plant, Koppers, Wheeling Steel, and the Highland Hills residential area (The annexation increased the tax base for the City of Follansbee by $500,000 per year.). Finally, he was essential in helping the City secure from private hands the ownership and operation of Follansbee’s water department. With these three accomplishments alone, Frank was pivotal, along with Mayor Adam Dalessio, City Manager Ray Stoaks, and the City Council, in securing the financial future of Follansbee for many decades.

In his private life, Frank was one of the original founders of the Follansbee Youth Basketball League in 1981, and he enjoyed his time as a Little League Baseball Coach in the Follansbee Youth Baseball League. In 2006, Frank was named Parade Marshall for the Follansbee Community Days. In 2016, Frank was honored by the Follansbee Chamber of Commerce as Citizen of the Year.

Family and friends will be received on Wednesday, December 21, 2016, from 2:00 – 4:00 and 7:00 – 9:00 P.M. and on Thursday, December 22, 2016, from 10:00 A.M. until the time of Funeral Service at 11:00 A.M. at the James Funeral Home, Follansbee, WV (304) 527-1717, with his dear brother, Pastor Joseph F. Cuomo, officiating. Interment will follow at Oak Grove Cemetery, Follansbee, WV.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions are suggested for the Frank Cuomo, Jr., Memorial Scholarship through the Brooke High Scholarship Foundation, c/o James Funeral Home, 1245 Main St., Follansbee, WV 26037.

The family would like to say a special and heartfelt thank you to the staff at UPMC Presbyterian, Allegheny General Hospital, the Laurels of Steubenville, Dr. Patsy Cipoletti, Amedisys Hospice, Trinity Health Systems, and finally New Cumberland Ambulance Service.

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