Frank "Sonny" Jerome Emma

Frank “Sonny” Jerome Emma, 83, of Lee’s Summit, MO, passed away peacefully November 22, 2024, surrounded by his loving wife, Mabel and their children. Frank is survived by his devoted wife of 59 years, Mabel and their children; Nick (Lorra) Emma of Lee’s Summit, MO, Lisa (Bryan) Collins of Rose HIll, KS, and Susan (Paul) Womble of Mount Pleasant, SC; nine grandchildren; one great-grandchild; his brother Vincent Emma of St. Louis, MO and many nieces, nephews and extended family members. He was preceded in death by his son Nicholas Alan, parents Elizabeth and Natale “Nick” Emma, sisters Bridget (John) Baragiola and Jean (Jack) Schwartz. 

Frank was born November 7, 1941 in St. Louis, MO. He graduated from St. Ann Catholic School in Normandy, MO in 1955. He then attended Christian Brothers College High School in St. Louis, MO graduating in 1959. Frank served as a private in the Marine Corps Reserves and was honorably discharged. He went on to earn a degree in Administration of Justice from the University of Missouri-St. Louis, graduating in 1976. Frank’s professional career in public service began as a police officer with the St. Louis Police Department for 8 years and continued for 26 years as a deputy and supervisory deputy with the United States Marshal Service. 

Frank met the love of his life, Mabel Meier, when he was on duty with the St. Louis police department bringing in wounded to the emergency room at St. Louis City Hospital. Mabel was a dedicated and focused emergency room nurse and we are all thankful that after many attempts by Frank to ask Mabel out on a date, she finally said yes! Their courtship led to a joyous wedding May 1, 1965. Together Frank and Mabel shared a life filled with much love, devotion to one another and many family blessings. Frank was steadfast to his faith and his family. Nothing brought more happiness to Frank than spending time with his family (closely followed by an Amighetti’s special sandwich from the Hill). 

Frank was an active parishioner at Holy Spirit Catholic Church in Overland Park, KS followed by being an active parishioner at Our Lady of the Presentation in Lee’s Summit, MO. Frank was a devout Catholic, dedicated and committed to his strong faith in God and the teachings of the church. He was a member of the Knights of Columbus. 

Frank enjoyed many hobbies from woodworking to tinkering with home projects and playing golf. He became famous in his family for mastering the art of pen making; consider yourself a lucky person if you ever received a handmade pen from Frank. 

Frank’s strong work ethic and desire to never sit still lead to many interesting jobs after retiring from the U.S. Marshals Service. Frank was never afraid to try something new. He sold cars for a short bit but didn’t last long due to his honesty. He worked at Home Quarters Warehouse (HQ-Hardware Store) and may be solely responsible for their bankruptcy as he gave out free home repair advice, steered customers away from spending too much money and always let his customers know they could fix it themselves with minimal merchandise. He loved HQ and was known to have the cleanest aisle in the warehouse. Frank then worked at a biomedical company, followed by working at his nephew’s technology company, both jobs where he learned a lot of new skills. Finally, his last and quite possibly his favorite post-retirement job was as the custodian/handyman at his then parish, Holy Spirit Catholic Church. Frank was in his element fixing things and cleaning; the church sparkled when he left each day. Frank made many great friendships from his time at Holy Spirit. 

Frank’s family would like to extend their sincere gratitude and appreciation to Silverado of Lee’s Summit for taking such wonderful care of Frank over the past 2 years and to Ascend Hospice for providing such compassionate and loving care to Frank during the challenging and difficult months preceding his passing.

The Rosary and Visitation will be held on Wednesday November 27th, 2024 at 9:30am, followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at 10:30am at Our Lady of the Presentation Catholic Church 130 NW Murray Rd., Lee's Summit, MO 64081. Interment of Ashes will follow the mass at Longview Cemetery 12700 SE Raytown Rd., Lee's Summit, MO 64149.

In lieu of flowers, our family would be grateful for donations to the Parkinson’s Foundation.