Andrea Santillo Fragnito

Andrea Santillo Fragnito was a loving wife, mother, daughter, sister, and friend. She passed away at age 57 on July 8th 2023 after a two and a half year battle with pancreatic cancer.

Andrea is survived by her husband Dean Fragnito, two children Josiah Fragnito and Sofia Fragnito, parents Alfred and Anna Santillo, brother Mark Santillo and a host of beloved cousins, aunts, uncles and friends.

She was born in Rochester, NY to Al and Anna Santillo on June 19, 1966. At a young age Andrea became a follower of Jesus Christ through Good News Club. Her faith was central to who she was throughout her life. She showed great promise in music from a young age, beginning lessons in piano, violin, and clarinet in elementary school.

She graduated from Arcadia high school in 1984, where she excelled in math, and was a varsity track and field athlete and a cheerleader. She went on to receive a BA in music education with a concentration in piano and clarinet from Roberts Wesleyan College. While there she was a member of the choral, band, orchestra, and the Robert's Singers. She then received her Masters degree from the University of Buffalo.

After college, her first music teaching job was at Lima Christian School, where she was the general music teacher, band teacher, and choir director for kindergarten through 12th grade. She also taught in Lockport and in the Greece Central School district.

After a few years of teaching she began attending Columbia Biblical Seminary at CIU, where she received her degree that allowed her to begin her missionary work. She started with shorter missions trips to Amsterdam, Brazil and Mexico, until Greater European Missions took her to Italy, but not before meeting her future husband— Dean Fragnito. In Italy she was the music teacher at the Istituto Biblico Evangelico Italiano (IBEI). She taught in her second language —Italian, which she became fluent in while in Italy. She created their music department from the ground up, and made lifelong friends. After over a year of long distance phone calls and emails, Dean crossed the Atlantic to propose.

She returned to Rochester after two years abroad, and married Dean on September 6th 1997. Together they had two children, Josiah and Sofia. Andrea decided to take a break from being a school teacher, and devoted her time to homeschooling her children— her daughter through elementary school, and her son through middle school— and continued to use her gifts as a teacher, evangelist and musician with many different organizations. Andrea taught Italian through Greece Continuing Education. Up until the time of her passing, she taught private piano lessons, progressively adding voice and other instruments, from her home in Greece, NY. When her children were young, she held music classes at homeschool group lessons through Northgate LEAH and Greater Rochester LEAH. She was an instructor for Drama Kids International, where she had both her son and daughter in classes for many years. She was the worship leader at English Road Alliance church, where she had attended since she was a young adult. Her parents and brother were also a part of the praise team there. The same family members comprised a band that eventually included her children as well. She was also a pianist for the band the Smugtown Stompers, whose members included her father, and eventually her daughter. She and her daughter were a part of many productions with the theater company Stageworks. The two also directed musicals for Home School Academy LEAH primary. She was the accompanist for the choir at her daughters school Greece Odyssey, and played the piano in the pit orchestra for their theatrical productions. She combined her love of the lord and teaching as the head of the children's program for the West Rochester branch of Community Bible Study. As her children entered young adulthood she returned to her teaching roots as the general music teacher at Greece Christian School, where she taught kindergarten through 8th grade students.

A part of Andrea's life that she valued very highly was her many ministries at Lakeshore Community Church. She was a part of the music team, where she worshiped the Lord with her musical gifts, playing keyboard on Sunday mornings. She was a leader in the student ministry, where she led a small group bible study for girls that she affectionately called "girls group". In 2017 she went on a short term mission trip to Italy through Lakeshore, this time joined by her husband and children, as well as others from the church. She served at Flower City Work Camp, where she was the adult leader for sidewalk clubs that spread the word of God to children in the city of Rochester.

Andrea was a lover of the arts, culture and history. While her children were homeschooled, she took them on frequent field trips to historical sites, museums, galleries, and performances. She was a subscriber of the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, the Rochester Broadway Theater League, Shea's theater in Buffalo, and a yearly attender of the International Jazz Festival, all of which she attended with her daughter. She took various week-long trips to historical cities with her immediate family. She was an avid reader, and a Jane Austen fan. She enjoyed doing English country dance as a member of Country Dancers of Rochester along with her daughter. She was an excellent cook, and frequent host for parties and family gatherings. In her spare time she loved to refinished furniture and had a knack for interior design.

She praised the Lord in all that she did, and shared the love of God with everyone she came into contact with. She had great passion for her music, and for her students, pouring into every pupil she had. She had a quick wit and a cheery disposition, always laughing and sharing inside jokes with family and friends. Andrea was exceedingly organized and had a constant want to be productive— if she was working on a project, it was going to be done, and done well. Though her time on this Earth was cut short, she blessed countless people with her love and talents, and the effect she had will last for decades to come.

Family and Friends may attend Andrea's Memorial Service Tuesday July 25 2023 at 11 am at Lakeshore Community Church, 3651 Latta Rd, Rochester, NY 14612.