Frank S. DiSanto | Aerospace engineer, 77

Frank S. DiSanto, 77, of Audubon, a retired aerospace engineer, died Sunday of heart failure at Paoli Hospital.

Mr. DiSanto graduated from South Philadelphia High School and earned a bachelor's degree in engineering from the University of Pennsylvania. During the Korean War he served in the Army in the States.

After his discharge, he earned a master's degree in engineering from Drexel University while working for General Electric in Philadelphia. He later worked at GE's Valley Forge facility on several NASA projects, including the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo space programs, and helped develop a plumbing system for the space shuttle. He received General Electric's "One in 1,000" award. He retired in 1991.

For more than 16 years, Mr. DiSanto coached in the Berwyn Paoli Little League. He was such a good teacher, his daughter, Roseann Starnes said, that everyone wanted to play on his teams.

As a youth, he played the accordion in a Mummers string band and to earn college tuition. He was an avid golfer. Since moving five years ago from Berwyn to Shannondell, a retirement community in Audubon, he had become accomplished at billiards and bridge.

In addition to his daughter, Mr. DiSanto is survived by his wife of 48 years, Mary Leslie DiSanto; sons Frank, John and Robert; a brother; and eight grandchildren.

A Funeral Mass will be said at 11 a.m. today at St. Teresa of Avila Church, 1260 S. Trooper Rd., Norristown. Friends may call from 9:30 a.m. Burial will be in St. Denis Cemetery, Havertown.