CPT. Louis Frank Giacchino, U.S. Navy (Ret.), age 91, of Silver Spring, Maryland, passed away peacefully on July 4, 2025. He was surrounded by family and friends at his senior living residence, including his son and granddaughter.
A beloved son, husband, father, and grandfather, Lou was born on September 30, 1933, in Los Angeles, California, to Ann Giacchino, a dedicated seamstress, and Louis Giacchino, a skilled pastry chef. The eldest of three children, Lou developed a wide range of interests from an early age. As a young boy, he served as an altar boy at his local church and sang in the choir, experiences that nurtured his strong sense of faith and community. Lou held a deep love for learning and took great pride in his academic efforts, always striving to do his very best. He worked summers with the Los Angeles County Flood Control and in Mexico, first in Acapulco and then in Poza Rica. He graduated from Los Angeles High School in 1951. In 1955 he earned a Bachelor’s degree at UCLA, majoring in language (Spanish, French, and Italian).
A 26-year career in the Navy began the same year with Officer Candidate School in Newport, Rhode Island. This was followed by an assignment for duty in (then) French Morocco. After Russian language training in Washington DC, he was assigned duties in Japan for three years involving many classified assignments, and some aboard ship. There followed tours of duty in Puerto Rico, the Pentagon, and finally on the commanding staff of the Sixth Fleet. This involved coordination of intel-related tasks abroad carriers deployed in the Mediterranean.
Lou served as Commanding Officer of the United States Naval Facility in Cyprus. There followed assignments in the Pentagon and at the National Security Agency. He retired in 1981 with the rank of CPT in the Navy. He was very fortunate to be accompanied in most assignments by loving wife, Chela, and children, Gina, Jon, Linda, and Michael.
In his Ph.D. dissertation at Georgetown University following retirement from the Navy, Lou clarified acute political, economic and geographic challenges, leading to the creation of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. He went on to work for Computer Sciences Corporation, General Electric and Lockheed Martin Corporation.
Lou‘s devotion to his family was always profound. He enjoyed skiing with his son Michael and in Colorado with his brother Jon. Lou‘s grandchildren, Michael and Jilliana were always on his mind as he enjoyed many trips with them through the years. He also was a devoted hiker. Training first in the Tetons, he then hiked with his son Michael across the Grand Canyon, and in 2004 joined a German hiking group and in a back-packing hike (Transalp Fur Konner) from Germany across the Alps to Merano, Italy.
The vast cultural legacy of Italy, the land of his grandparents, was also a source of pride for Lou, and a motive for him to increase his fluency in Italian. Because of this he was chosen to welcome the President of Italy, Francesco Cossiga, to Casa Italiana, in Washington DC. during Cossiga’s visit to Washington in October 1989. Lou was elected president of the Lido Civic Club of Washington in 2004 and remained until the end an active member.
The art of ballroom dancing captured Lou’s imagination from an early age. He competed in ballroom events for many years, and at the Alex Moore School in Surrey, England, established credentials as a Fellow of the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dance, widely recognized as the world’s most prestigious consortium of ballroom dance professionals. Beginning at Chevy Chase Ballroom in Washington DC., he taught ballroom dancing in several dance schools and universities in the DC area and served as a judge at numerous dance competitions. In 2004 Lou was selected as ICDC Honoree of the Year for his contributions to the dance profession Washington DC. area.
Lou and his family lived in the Hillandale, Maryland community for over forty years. He enjoyed serving as president of the Hillandale Citizens Association during a rapid period of development preceding the FDA’s relocating to the former Naval Ordnance Laboratory grounds.
Later in Lou’s life came the fascination with roses. This interest led him to always having beautiful flowers in the house for his most beautiful wife, Chela. He became Vice President of the Potomac Rose Society and a member of the Arlington Rose Foundation helping many gardeners in the Greater Washington Area with their rose gardens .He also enjoyed many years volunteering at Montgomery County’s Brookside Garden helping in plant propagation among other duties.
His wife Chela fought bravely, eventually succumbing to pancreatic cancer in 2015. The loss was tremendous but despite the severe blow he persevered and was later selected as the Outstanding Consulting Rosarian of the Colonial District of the American Rose Society in 2017. Lou continued to get his exercise on the dance floor where he enjoyed meeting new people and practicing various dances. One person in particular caught his eye and after meeting Junko Moy, he knew he had a new partner both on and off the dance floor. Junko introduced Lou to Japanese culture, and they enjoyed many vacations together, especially to Japan.
Lou’s good energy and love for life was always evident. He endeavored to teach his children and grandchildren the best life lessons he knew, as well as the indisputable value of a good sense of humor.
A visitation for Louis Frank Giacchino will be held on Wednesday, July 23 at 10 AM followed by the funeral service at 11 AM at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church (12319 New Hampshire Ave, Silver Spring, MD 20904).There will be a banquet/short celebration of life at Hines Rinaldi following the service Burial will be at a later date at Arlington National Cemetery.
