LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION mourning the death of Frank J. Dolce, Jr., well-
known and respected attorney, distinguished citizen and devoted member
of his community

WHEREAS, It is the custom of this Legislative Body to pay tribute to
citizens of the State of New York whose lifework and civic endeavor
served to enhance the quality of life in their communities and the great
State of New York; and
WHEREAS, Frank J. Dolce, Jr. of Buffalo, New York, died on Wednesday,
June 1, 2016, at the age of 62; and
WHEREAS, A Buffalo native, Frank J. Dolce, Jr. grew up on the Lower
West Side before his family moved to Amherst when he was a teenager; and
WHEREAS, Frank J. Dolce, Jr. graduated in 1971 from Williamsville
North High School, where he starred in both football and track, before
earning a bachelor's degree in political science and his law degree,
both from University at Buffalo; he was his family's first-generation
college graduate; and
WHEREAS, As a young attorney, Frank J. Dolce, Jr. worked for several
firms, looking to specialize in personal-injury law; in 2004, he became
a founding member of what would become Dolce Panepinto; and
WHEREAS, Frank J. Dolce, Jr. distinguished himself in his profession
and by his sincere dedication and substantial contribution to the
welfare of his community; and
WHEREAS, This esteemed man developed an expertise in both worker
compensation and scaffolding law, teaching a course on worker compen-
sation at UB Law School for 20 years; and
WHEREAS, Frank J. Dolce, Jr. was and remains an inspiration to us all;
he was more than one of the city's best workers' advocates, he was
engaging, warm, charming, intelligent, and a joy to be around; and
WHEREAS, Frank J. Dolce, Jr. was best known for his ability to make
every person he interacted with feel that they were the most important
person in the world; whether you were a construction worker, doctor,
defense attorney, or legal assistant, the passion he showed in every
conversation was genuine; it was that passion that he transferred into
every person and group he touched in his life; and
WHEREAS, For more than 35 years, Frank J. Dolce, Jr. championed the
cause of injured workers; and
WHEREAS, Frank J. Dolce, Jr. was passionate about the fight for work-
ers' rights; he saw it as his duty to stand up for those who do not have
the means to stand up or themselves; he was a founding member the West-
ern New York Council on Occupational Safety and Health (WNYCOSH) in
1979, and remained active in the group throughout the rest of his life;
and
WHEREAS, Frank J. Dolce, Jr. was very proud of WNYCOSH's many accom-
plishments over the years including working to ensure the passage of New
York State's Right to Know Law in 1980, which affords workers the right
to request information from their employers about hazards and health
effects of workplace chemicals; founding the WNY Worker Center, an occu-
pational and environmental safety and health training center that
WNYCOSH has operated since 1980; and the recently established Center for
Occupational and Environmental Medicine (COEM) of Western New York where
he was also a member of the center's Advisory Board; and
WHEREAS, His commitment to excellence, and his spirit of humanity,
carried over into all fields of enterprise, including charitable and
civic endeavors; he enjoyed volunteering his time and energies to youth
sports and was instrumental in establishing fifth- and sixth-grade
basketball teams for his sons at Park School and City Honors; and

WHEREAS, A wonderful father, Frank J. Dolce, Jr. closely followed all
three of his sons' basketball, hockey, crew and soccer teams, and was a
strong supporter of the GC Ballers and other youth basketball programs;
and
WHEREAS, Frank J. Dolce, Jr. lived life large, especially with his
wife and three sons, whether it was giving law lectures that his son
Frank translated in a rural Chinese province; golfing his way across
Scotland with his son Michael; or camping in Algonquin Park with his son
Sam, a gourmet experience that included steak and baked potatoes for
dinner; and
WHEREAS, Furthermore, Frank J. Dolce, Jr. was an avid gardener, a
strong Buffalo advocate and a devoted music fan; he and his wife loved
their family's former summer home in Colden, and were supporters of Just
Buffalo Literary Center, where they met; and
WHEREAS, In addition to his three loving sons, Frank, Michael and Sam,
and his wife of 33 joyful years, Sue Mann Dolce, Frank J. Dolce, Jr. is
survived by one sister, Susan Dolce Kiel, and one brother, Charles
Dolce; and
WHEREAS, Armed with a humanistic spirit and imbued with a sense of
compassion, Frank J. Dolce, Jr. leaves behind a legacy which will long
endure the passage of time and will remain as a comforting memory to all
he served and befriended; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
mourn the death of Frank J. Dolce, Jr., well-known and respected attor-
ney, distinguished citizen and devoted member of his community, and to
express its deepest condolences to his family; and be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to the family of Frank J. Dolce, Jr.