Frank Cusma, retired Ironworkers Local 29 apprenticeship coordinator, died June 23, 2025, at the age 80.
Cusma was well-known to generations of union ironworkers in the Portland area.
Born Francesco Cusma on Sept. 14, 1944, in Trieste, Italy, he could trace his family’s ancestry there back to the year 1080. His father was killed during World War II while serving in the Italian army. He and his mother immigrated to the United States in 1963. He then enlisted in the U.S. Navy and served two tours of duty in Vietnam as a diver with the Marines.
After his discharge he moved to Portland and joined the Ironworkers Local 29 apprenticeship program. As an ironworker, Cusma worked on the Fremont Bridge and downtown Portland skyscrapers like the First Interstate Bank tower. He loved being an ironworker.
He started teaching Local 29 apprenticeship classes in 1976 and was appointed apprenticeship coordinator in 1979 by Local 29 business manager LeRoy Worley. Cusma also restarted an apprenticeship program for Ironworkers Shopmens Local 516. He was later appointed to coordinate apprenticeship programs throughout the Iron Workers Northwest District Council.
Within Local 29, he was elected to the executive board in 1978 and 1981, president in 1983 and 1985, and recording secretary in 1993 and 1996. He also served as recording secretary and as treasurer of the Ironworkers Political Action League.
In 1990, the international union sent him to Warsaw, Poland, to help set up a welding shop for an apprenticeship program there. He also helped set up and certify welding shops for a dozen other Iron Workers locals, including Seattle and San Francisco.
After retiring in 2005 at age 61, he spent time at home in Milwaukie, where he built a wood-burning pizza oven to make pizza and bread. He also volunteered to drive retirement home residents to appointments.
He was in a rehabilitation facility when he succumbed to infection. He is survived by wife of 41 years, Jeri Cusma, their son Anthony, and nine grandchildren and step-grandchildren.
Francesco Cusma didn’t come to America in 1963. He came to the United States when he was 12 years old. He and his mother lived in New York. Brooklyn N.Y. He joined the Navy when he was old enough and during that time his mom married another Italian. They, his mother and his step dad eventually went back to Italy. Frank traveled to Oregon when he got out of the Navy. When I met Frank he had another son, Nick from a previous marriage. He also had 3 children he adopted from another marriage.
He and I met at the Ironworkers. Nothing went on between us for a very long time. He was married and so was I. It was 1979 when I went to work for the Ironworkers through my mother-in- law who worked for Frank. She was going away for the summer to Canada. It was 1982 before I ever dated Frank
We had both divorced during that time. I married Frank in May of 1984. And the rest is history. We had a son Antony who is now 40 years old. I am so sad about Franks passing. I miss him every day.