APRIL 2024

15 year
anniversary
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4301 ORCHARD LAKE ROAD STE. 180
WEST BLOOMFIELD
WE SHIP
we specialize in shipping to iraq
and the whole middle east
said, ‘Rich, I’ll call you back.’ An hour
later, a truck pulls up with fuel for our
generator. That’s Frank. He’s all about
customer service. I invited him to join
the Board of DPTV.”
“I met Frank and Judy about 25
years ago when I first started,” remembers
Barbara Urbiel, Chief Development
Officer at Angel’s Place, a
residential care service for individuals
with developmental difficulties. “They
couldn’t have been any warmer or welcoming
to me my first day on the job.”
Frank and Judy’s son Jeffrey has
developmental challenges which require
round-the-clock care. “What
strikes me about Frank is that he’s
so humble,” says Urbiel. “He is such
a smart, loving, kind man, and he’s
very humble. I admire that.”
“I admire watching the Jonna Family
and Frank in particular,” says Urbiel.
“He loves his family deeply and
he’s really passed on a legacy of giving
and selflessness to his children and
grandchildren. He’s built a legacy of
giving to others; he’s truly a servant.”
Family
“Albert was a great basketball player,”
remembers Pete, Frank’s brother,
talking about childhood friend Albert
Yono. “He was shot to death, I mean
riddled, for no reason.” Albert was
murdered while at work in a Detroit
convenience store in 1969.
“Frank and my brother John were
shot at in Food Farm Market on Dexter
and had to run back into the office for
their lives,” recalls Pete. “The guy was
hiding in the store that night and came
running out and it was gunfire. That was
the end of being a store owner for Frank.”
Family was too precious to risk.
“Frank was special,” says Pete.
“He was an incredibly loving son and
did everything for mom and dad above
and beyond all the rest of us; he just
knew what they needed, and he took
care of it.”
“Franks was a really hard worker
from the day we got married,” says
Judy, Frank’s wife of nearly 50 years.
“What attracted me to him was he was
very funny and worked very hard…
he used to come home so dirty after
work that sometimes I made him take
his clothes off in the garage before he
came into the house.”
“My dad was always present,” says
Frank’s son Joey. “He always had time
for us at home and was involved in our
activities.”
Frank led by example. “He’s a doer,”
says Joey, “who doesn’t require recognition
or accolades. He listens intently and
then just goes out and does it.
“He has a famous saying: ‘Are you
committed to the line of scrimmage?’
and it means so many things to different
people,” explains Joey. “You’ve got to be
willing to get in the trenches to get things
done. My father is that committed.”
Legacy
Frank has served as director on the
Board of Henry Ford Health West
Bloomfield as well as the boards of
Catholic Central High School, Angel’s
Place and Detroit Public Television.
In 2022, Frank was inducted into the
Michigan Construction Hall of Fame.
Last year, he was honored as the 2023
Distinguished Alumni for his many
years of service to Catholic Central.
Frank served on the Board of the
Chaldean American Chamber of Commerce
in its early years, including a
stint as Chairman. He wasn’t initially a
believer that the Chamber could make
a difference, but he put his whole heart
into it and became one of the CACC’s
greatest ambassadors.
His legacy lives on in the beautiful
buildings his work has made possible.
“We are thrilled to have historically preserved
buildings in our portfolio,” says
Frank. That portfolio also includes the
Michigan National Building, the newest
Detroit Piston’s Center, Mother of
God and St. Thomas Churches, Shenandoah
Country Club, and the Chaldean
Community Foundation in Sterling
Heights. Jonna Construction is currently
working on the new Oakland County
Campus for the Chaldean Community
Foundation in West Bloomfield.
“My legacy is one of gratitude,”
says Frank. It is a gift he has passed
down to his 4 children, 7 grandchildren,
and the countless lucky individuals
who get the opportunity to deal
with him daily.
28 CHALDEAN NEWS APRIL 2024