Frannie Cool

Frannie grew up in Kensington before raising her own family in Northeast Philadelphia, until she made her way to the New Jersey suburbs in 1979. After going through a divorce and swearing to never marry again, she was introduced to her future husband of 30 years and true soulmate, Jack Cool, by her good friend Nancy. The "Cute Couple," as they were dubbed by local DJ Don Cannon and known as by their friends, lived in Pennsauken, NJ where Jack still resides.

It is no exaggeration to say that Frannie and Jack were the embodiment of bringing out the best in one another. They genuinely shared each other’s interests, even to the point of coming to embrace things each had never tried before. For Frannie, it was Jack’s love of drag racing. Frannie came to be just as big a fan as Jack, and the Cute Couple were easily recognized by their matching NHRA T-shirts featuring their favorite drivers. They were regular attendees at annual races in Maple Grove, PA, and Englishtown, NJ, until her back pain made sitting for long periods of time unrealistic. Still, she would accompany Jack to the races so that he could continue to attend while she waited at the hotel to hear all about what happened.

This was not a one-sided relationship. Although not a part of her life during her first marriage, Frannie introduced Jack to line dancing, where they became staples at places like the old Woodbine Inn. Although Jack is a music enthusiast and famous for his playlists, he could not hold a candle to Frannie's love of and devotion to her favorite artist, Connie Francis. Connie was her childhood "idol," and that was something Frannie carried with her throughout her life. She had several opportunities to both see Connie perform and interact with her backstage and through correspondence. Pictures with Connie were some of her most treasured possessions, and woe to the person who EVER said anything unkind about her.

Frannie’s professional life was marked by her typing proficiency, where early on she worked as a professional secretary in various industries before being introduced to the medical field in her 30s. She would then go on to serve in various capacities in that field until her retirement. She maintained long-lasting friendships that began in a professional sense but went on to become deep and personal. She was loyal to her friends and equally as steadfast with people on her "list." Her two closest friendships made in her youth with Marci and Marie lasted a lifetime, and both preceded her in passing. It was Marci’s battle with breast cancer that fed Frannie's passion for the cause, leading her to create "Frannie’s Cool Designs," a craft business devoted to making beaded bracelets, lanyards, and necklaces—especially those pink items which she would give away to help people support breast cancer awareness.

She is survived by her two sons, Scott (Linda) Solomon and Howie (Stacy) Solomon; her grandchildren, Juleian, Ellisabeth, Shane, Emma, Regina, Rebecca, and Remy; her sister, Joie Dugan; step-sister, Ruth Steingold; step-brother, Ira Steingold; niece, Liz; and nephew, Hal.

For those who knew her, their answering machine message said it all: “You’ve reached the cute couple. We’re either out at the drag races, dancing or, use your imagination.”

Come celebrate 80 great years on Sunday, May 3, from 2–4 p.m. at Mark Tilghman Funeral Home, Maple Shade.