Travel Community Mourns Passing Of Frank Orlando

A lover of motorcycles and good red wine. A legend in the Canadian travel business. And, most importantly, a good man.

The travel world is mourning the death of Frank Orlando, a well-known and wildly popular figure in the Canadian travel trade over the years.

Orlando passed away on Friday July 5 at the age of 63 after a month-long illness.

"He was a kind, gentle man," said Kim Clarke, director of sales for Globus and a long-time friend of Orlando's. "He had an amazing sense of humour. He was bright and witty. He was a great friend, a great husband and a wonderful brother.

"He was just amazing. He was amazing."

Clarke said Orlando got quite involved in Collingwood when he and his wife, Michelle Pinard, moved to the community a few years ago. He was on the board of the Collingwood Strategic Plan Advisory Committee and was very passionate about his adopted city.

"Frank and Michelle were my Collingwood family," said long-time travel executive Patrice Bell. "Frank and I were going to play golf together on Thursday."

Bell said loved wine and cooking and that she and Orlando shared a love of motorcycles.

"I had a Harley. I don't know what his was, but we'd go riding together a lot; often just around the city. Sometimes we'd manage to get onto the Honda Indy track the day before the race," she said with a laugh.

"He was way too young," she said. "It's hard to think he's gone."

"There are probably a million stories; most of which you can't print," Clarke told TravelPulse Canada in a telephone chat. "He used to name his motorcycles. One was called Eileen. I heard he named it that because it would always fall over or wouldn't stand up straight."

Sue Webb, who heads up VoX International, had been close friends with Orlando for 40 years.

"Everybody's in shock," she said. "He had so many friends, and my email is just blowing up the past three days. People around the world are sending notes; literally from around the world. It's very sad."

Webb said everyone who met Orlando loved him.

"He was bigger than life, with a wicked sense of humour. I say he was a Renaissance man because he was. He loved classical music and read everything he could get his hands on. He was a great chef. He watched all the news programs and knew everything that was happening in the world.

"And he was totally opinionated," she said with a chuckle, "You didn't argue with Frank."

Webb said Orlando worked with her at Skylark.

"We used to promote Europe, so we had a reception and had people dress up like they were from Holland or Spain or England. Frank got dressed up with a royal robe and a crown. He loved it. He looked like Henry VIII."

Webb said Orlando had a fascinating background, with parents from Italy and Venezuela. He was born in Venezuela and at one point attended the U.S. Naval Academy, she said.

"Frank spoke Italian and Spanish, which helped him a lot around the world and in the Caribbean. He worked with Guitart Hotels in Cuba developing huge complexes. But he sometimes got us into trouble with his Spanish. He'd arrange a deep-sea fishing trip by using his Spanish language skills, but nobody would show up."

"Frank had so many good ideas that were ahead of their time," Webb said. "He was very forward thinking like that. There was one company he started that was like the OTA's, but it was before Expedia and all that. I think sometimes he was too far ahead of the times."

"Frank Orlando was one of the most positive spirits I've ever had the pleasure of enjoying," said TravelPulse Canada Editor John Kirk. "He never had a negative thing to say about anyone. He always seemed to find the positive in something.

"Frank was literally one of the first people I met in the travel industry," Kirk said. "We met on my first day at Red Seal Tours. He had an office at the same building Doug Hamer was based out of,. That was 1989. Thirty years ago. Wow.

"His positive vibe will live on through those he touched," Kirk added. "My heart goes out to Michelle."

Orlando studied cinematography and film/video production at Humber College in Toronto. His work career included stints with Skylark Holidays, CP Air Holidays, Thomas Vacations, Regent Holidays and TravelWatch, where he developed a product that provided valuable travel content to travel agents to post on their Facebook pages. Travelwatch was acquired by partner BranchUp.com in 2017. BranchUp was founded by Michael Drever, former CEO of Expedia CruiseShipCenters.

"I'm deeply saddened by Frank's passing at such a young age," said Drever. "He will be sorely missed."

"Frank really loved to be a pioneer who brought an inquisitive nature and boundary-pushing enthusiasm to the business," he said. "With his naturally warm and fun personality, he developed great friendships with so many people, from travel advisors to executives and the media.

"He is a shining example of what makes this business so great; the people."

Orlando's wife, Michelle Pinard, herself a well-known and much-loved figure in the travel trade, said a celebration of his life will be held at R.S. Kane Funeral Home, 6150 Yonge St., Toronto, on Friday Sept. 6 from 3 to 5 p.m.

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