Building My Life

by Pat Franchi

"I was born next to a fireplace, on a concrete floor." That's how Pat Franchi's life began on January 31, 1928, in Gallinaro, Italy. Born into a large, hard-working family, Pat grew up working on the farm—but eventually came to live in America with his family, in Newton, Massachusetts. He went to school—not, at first, being able to speak a word of English—and began his journey anew. A journey that would take him through school, into the Marine Corps, and then starting a small construction company. "Small. It was just me," Pat writes. Franchi Construction went on to be become a huge international firm—building universities, hospitals and housing complexes. Not to mention Launch Tower 14 at Cape Canaveral, that would send the Gemini Missions roaring into space. Pat married Madeline, the love of his life, the girl he met when she was only nine, and they had "six beautiful children." But then tragedy struck. Again. And again. And again. This book is about how Pat kept his family together. It's an uplifting story of determination, perseverance, love, family, honor—and vision. It's the story of how Pat Franchi built his life.

244 pages, Paperback

First published July 14, 2014