Franklin R. Ciaccio Franklin R. Ciaccio, 83, passed away peacefully on February 14, 2026, on the East End of Long Island, a place he loved dearly. Born in New York City on October 20, 1942, Frank was a lifelong New Yorker, save for his time at Bowdoin College. There, his creative talents flourished. He painted and earned honors for his playwriting, reflecting a lifelong appreciation for artists and the arts. He also had an unique eye for design and decorating, curating a home filled with personal and distinct works that reflected his tastes and passions. He went on to graduate from Columbia Law School, where he was a founding member of the Columbia Journal of Transnational Law. His legal career spanned decades at ITT, New York Life, King & Spalding, Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe, and Dorsey & Whitney. Over the years, he became a respected voice in corporate restructuring and bankruptcy law. His decade long service as counsel to the Trustee of the Bethlehem Steel Corporation Liquidating Trust from 2003 to 2013 and to the Trustee of the VP Buildings Distribution Trust in the LTV Steel Corporation bankruptcy reflected both his expertise and his steady leadership in some of the most significant restructurings of his era. Frank’s love story began when he met Susan Fiske Francis, and with her came a three generation family devotion to Shelter Island that shaped the rest of his life. Though he learned to sail as a boy at Camp Paradox in the Adirondacks, he truly embraced the sport at the Shelter Island Yacht Club, where he raced, served on the race committee, and later served as Commodore and Trustee. He worked tirelessly with his dear friends to restore his beloved wooden Star boat, Imp, and later sailed his beautiful Etchells, Valkyrie. He found particular joy cruising with friends, whether in local waters or on the Adriatic and Aegean seas. For 55 years, Frank called Brooklyn Heights home. He was deeply engaged in his community as a past president of the New England Society and a member of Plymouth Church, the Heights Casino, the New York Yacht Club, and the Willowtown Association. He took special pride in the pro bono legal work he provided to these organizations and to individuals in need. He loved bringing people together at neighborhood gatherings, dinners, and parties, and he treasured the time he spent with friends and family. Frank never lost his boyhood love of baseball, from Little League to a lifelong devotion to the Yankees. The family will hold a memorial service at Union Chapel this summer, possibly followed by a celebratory baseball game in his honor. Frank is survived by his beloved wife of 60 years, Susan; his daughter Amanda Ciaccio and her children, Marina, Emma, and Theodore M. Crowe; and his daughter Caroline Emery, her husband Chip, and their children, Weber and Harrison Emery. In lieu of flowers, donations may be directed to Union Chapel on Shelter Island, the Shelter Island Ambulance Corps, or Plymouth Church in Brooklyn. The Shelter Island Funeral Home is serving the family.