Frank James (DeMarco) Dantimo

STOW - Frank James (DeMarco) Dantimo was born November 14, 1949, in Cleveland, Ohio to Stan Dantimo and Mary Dantimo (Zappone).

He started his childhood living on Miles Road in Cleveland and spent the rest of it in Garfield Heights, where he graduated from Garfield Heights High School in 1967. Determined to succeed outside of his blue-collar surroundings, Frank started Kent State University at 17 years of age, majoring in business with a minor in communications.

He was at Kent State University when the infamous riots broke out in 1970 which prompted him to leave school and take a job on the radio in Miami, Florida. Frank would soon return to Kent State University to finish his degree and upon graduation, was offered a radio job at WROM in Rome, Georgia in 1972, where he met his first wife and mother of his oldest son, Peggy (Blackmon, deceased 1976).

After becoming widowed, he moved back to Ohio to get help raising his son while pursuing his broadcasting dreams at WAKR in Akron on both the morning drive radio and the 6 o’clock news as sports broadcaster.

A few years later, he became employed at Kent State University as Director of Sports Marketing and Media Relations while also doing play-by-play for the basketball, baseball, hockey and football teams.

The job at Kent State University introduced him to his second wife, Denise (Diltz, deceased 2020), with whom he had another son, and was happily married to for over 30 years. After his time there, he began doing Cleveland State basketball games on the radio while starting his business with his old fraternity brother, Ky Kraus, in financial planning and tax service.

Frank had retired from his business with Ky for a few years and retired from the radio business in 2005, though he would still do an occasional voiceover when asked.

Frank is survived by his two sons, John Dantimo and Pat (Lauren) Dantimo; three stepdaughters, Lynn Tolbert (Blackmon), Elissa Young (Blackmon) and LuGina Brown (Blackmon); two brothers, Tom Dantimo and Dan Dantimo; several close cousins, his dear fraternity brothers, and many friends and colleagues.

Fr. Jon Hawkins will conduct a Memorial Service, Thursday, July 31, 2025, 8 PM, at Redmon Funeral Home, 3633 Darrow Road, Stow, 44224, where friends may call from 5 PM, until service time.

In lieu of flowers, please donate to the Sigma Chi-Bell Chapter Challenge under the Zeta Lambda Chapter, Sigma Chi Foundation, Attention: Allison Amado, 1714 Hinman Avenue, Evanston, IL 60201 ~ Donate to Sigma Chi Foundation - Bell Chapter Challenge