Frank J. Tarantine 1935-2026

He was born May 27, 1935, in Youngstown, to the late Henry and Ann Sylvester Tarantine.

Frank grew up in Brier Hill, attended St. Ann Church and graduated from Ursuline High School in 1953.

From a young age, Frank had a remarkable work ethic, taking a job at Commercial Shearing Inc. after graduating high school to pay his way through college.

He earned his Bachelor of Engineering degree from Youngstown State University in 1957, followed by a Master of Science degree in engineering from the University of Akron in 1961. He completed his education in 1966 with a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from Carnegie Mellon University.

Dr. Tarantine spent 39 years at Youngstown State University as a professor and retired as chairman of YSU’s Mechanical Engineering Department. As a YSU graduate himself, he was deeply dedicated to supporting and mentoring his students and served as a positive role model for his fellow faculty members.

In 2004, Dr. Tarantine received the Heritage Award, the most prestigious honor given to YSU faculty. He also held a special distinction as YSU’s first faculty athletics representative to the NCAA, a role in which he worked as a liaison between the YSU faculty and athletics departments.

Outside academia, Dr. Tarantine’s professional work included design and analytical work at Commercial Shearing, Automatic Sprinkler Corporation and Westinghouse Electric Corporation, among others. He earned numerous awards in engineering and served as a legal expert in his field, but his true professional passion was teaching.

An avid athlete and YSU athletics fan himself, Dr. Tarantine and his wife created the Dr. Frank J. Tarantine Scholarship in the summer of 2015. The scholarship is awarded annually to a YSU student / athlete majoring in engineering, with a preference to students working toward a degree in mechanical engineering.

Frank was a born leader and belonged to many organizations, including the American Society of Engineers, the American Society for Engineering Education, the Scientific Research Society of America (Sigma Xi), Alpha Phi Delta and the Wolves Club of Youngstown, and was a Registered Professional Engineer in the State of Ohio.

He was the last original member of The Lake Club (formerly Fonderlac Country Club), where he golfed several times per week with the “F-Troop,” and was a regular visitor at the downtown YMCA.

Frank took great pride in having designed and built his home in 1967, a house that became and remains a gathering place for family and friends through countless Sunday dinners, holidays, Memorial Day and Labor Day cookouts, and other treasured memories over the years.

Frank was adored by his loving wife of 69 years, Mary Mediate Tarantine; his children, Frank (Ruth Anne), James (Peggy Shanahan), Anne (Steve) Listisen and Jean (John) Rubesa; and his grandchildren, Joseph, Emily, Mary (Grady Simms) and Anthony Tarantine, Stephen Listisen, and Francesca and Vincenzo Rubesa.

He was preceded in death by his beloved sister, Barbara Tarantine.

Family was everything to Frank, and he was a wonderful and caring husband, brother, father and grandfather.

Calling hours will be 4 to 6 p.m. Thursday, July 2, at Rossi Brothers and Lellio Funeral Home, 4442 South Ave., Boardman, OH 44512.

A Catholic Mass of Christian Burial will be held in his honor 11 a.m. on Friday, July 3, at St. Mary Magdalene Parish-St. Christine Catholic Church, 3165 S. Schenley Ave., Youngstown, OH 44511, followed by private burial in Calvary Cemetery, 248 S. Belle Vista Ave., Youngstown, OH 44509.

The family requests that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the Dr. Frank J. Tarantine Scholarship at the YSU Foundation, 655 Wick Ave., Youngstown, OH 44502 (ysufoundation.org/give-now/).

Family and friends are encouraged to offer prayers for the family by visiting the Book of Memories at www.rossifunerals.com.

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