Frank A.Santoli, an outstanding athlete, teacher, craftsman and the consummate gentleman died this past week of cancer. He was born in Oceanside, New York in 1939, of Italian immigrant parents, Frank and Filomena Santoli. He attended Oceanside Schools where he excelled in all sports, but especially so in baseball and football. As an outstanding quarterback, he led his high school football team from an 0-8 season in 1954 to a 8-0 season in 1955, and was quoted by his coach as being "one of the best passers and running backs in Nassau County". At graduation, though recruited by the NewYork Yankees, he chose to play football for Syracuse University. He was a proud member of the 1959 undefeated National Championship Football Team, victors of the 1960 Cotton Bowl. He played along side the great Ernie Davis who was featured in the movie The Express. He graduated from SU in 1962 and briefly played semi-pro football with the Mohawk Valley Falcons. In 2009 he received with the National Championship Team a Letterman of Distinction Award from Syracuse University. It was there on the SU campus, outside The Varsity, while admiring her 1958 black and silver Chevy Impala convertible, that Mr. Santoli met his wife, Gen Iacovino Santoli, with whom he shared his love and his life. They were married on August 18, 1962. He completed his education earning a master's degree in education from SUNY at Cortland. He accepted a teaching position with Oriskany Central School and later with Clinton Central School teaching middle school and junior high sciences. Any chance meeting with former students was invariably met with the exclamation, "Mr. Santoli, you were my favorite teacher!" A former student wrote in a moving tribute: " Mr. Santoli was "THE teacher smart, caring, COOL. In his classroom, group discussion was an orderly and respectful affair that did not necessarily have to be dominated by that ever-mindful: "Raise your hand." Discussion was important to him. Ideas were important to him. Mr. Santoli made us believe we were special. He connected with us. We talked. We listened. We laughed. Our classroom was a shared tidal experience of learning and waves of growth. Mr. Santoli was surfer-in-chief." In 1986 Mr. Santoli chose a new path. He left teaching to pursue a career in construction and real estate development. With the help of his sons and the support of his wife, he was the principle builder, developer and architect of the subdivisions Chapel View and Coventry Place in Clinton, New York. He also built "Gen's House". Besides his wife, he leaves two sons: His older son, Dr. Frank A. Santoli, an oncologist in San Francisco, and Christopher Michael Santoli, an architectural graduate of Princeton University. He leaves a daughter-in-law, Maura, and a cherished and beloved grandchild, Grace Jing Santoli of San Francisco. He also leaves a brother Rudy and his wife Michelle Santoli of Altamont, NY. He was predeceased by an infant child, a daughter, who died at birth in 1964, and by two older sisters, Madelyn Nilsson and Jo Glier. At Mr. Santoli's request private services were held this past week. A memorial mass will be held Saturday, November 29, 2014 at 10am at St. Mary's Church in Clinton to which his family and friends and all his former students are invited.. Those so wishing to honor his memory may make a contribution to the Frank A. Santoli Memorial Scholarship Fund, P.O. Box 245, Clinton, NY 13323. Frank was a man of humble demeanor and modesty who lived his life with an unwavering devotion to his family, with humor, with quiet competence, with love, generosity and above all with kindness.