Lionel Farrington Sr. was born to Thelma Ione Venzen and Ricardo Farrington on July 12, 1946, on St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands. In the 1950s, Lionel and his family moved to Pearson Gardens Building 12 in V.I. Public Housing. It was there where Lionel, his brothers and sisters started their first family business by charging other neighborhood children to come watch one of the only few television sets in the community.
Early in life, he formed a lifetime bond with many of his customers (Celestino “Tony” White, Orville “Caba”James, Lionel “Apie” Testamark, Winston “Boyie” Cillar Foy, Lesmore “Fordie” Francis and Myron Hodge). In fact, it was his good friend Tony White who gave him the name “Frako” because his head was shaped like the cone of a fraco. It was not a name he cared for and because it bothered him so much, his buddies kept it going so that everyone called him “Frako.”
At the age of 16, Lionel was sent to live with his oldest sister in the Bronx, N.Y., so that he could attend Morris High School. After graduation, he was drafted into the Army and served during the Vietnam War, earning several medals and honors for his honorable military service.
In 1966, he married Cheryl Calistro. Despite their separation after 35 years, they remained very good friends throughout the years. In the 1980s, Frako left Beconta and went to work in the family business with his sister, Eleanor. He worked more for more than 20 years at Melrose Community School. As the director of Melrose, “Mr. Farrington” was able to further instill the importance of education and discipline to many young students that he met. He was great at remembering every child’s name, communicating with parents, and making everyone feel a part of the Melrose Community School family.
He leaves to honor and cherish his memory his partner, Vanessa Bartlett; beloved friends and mothers of his children: Miranda Jones and Cheryl Farrington; children: Lionel Jr. (Linda), Barbara (Romia), and Paula Crawford (Kenneth); stepchildren: Antoine Bartlett (Raquel), Lakaya Christopher and Ashley Castro; grandchildren: Princess, Lionel III, Quintin Crawford, Briana Wesley, Raseem Crawford, and Marcus, Steven Wesley, Seven Bartlett and Alejandro Castro; siblings: Landis (Myrtle), Roland, Leona Turnbull (Vincent Sr.) and Liston (Lynette); nieces and nephews: Roy (Quashan) Turnbull Jr, Patricia Weir, Monique, Vincent Jr., Michelle Turnbull, Michael Turnbull, Charles (Jet) McFadden, Johaness McFadden, Mike Benton, Zeloudius Chisholm and Mark Bentonand; as well as a host of loving aunts, uncles, cousins, great-nieces/nephews and friends. He was preceded in death by his parents: Thelma Ione Venzen and Ricardo Farrington; sister, Eleanor Turnbull; and nephew, Lamont (Harkeem) McFadden.
There will be a viewing held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. followed by a funeral service at 1 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 7, at McCall’s Bronxwood Funeral Home, 4035 Bronxwood Avenue, Bronx, New York. Chaplain Landis Farrington will be officiating. A recessional repast will immediately follow at Crawford Memorial United Methodist Church, 3757 White Plains Road, Bronx, New York. Internment is scheduled for 9 a.m. on Friday, Aug. 8, at Calverton National Cemetery in Calverton, New York.
