Frank Claiborne with his daughter (l) and wife Stephanie
Photo courtesy: The Claiborne family
By Napoleon F. Kingcade
On July 25, 2025, dedicated community basketball coach Frank Claiborne passed away suddenly, leaving behind a legacy of love and wonderful memories. The cause of death was associated with a ruptured aortic aneurysm. Claiborne was 53.
Frank Claiborne
Photo courtesy: The Claiborne family
Even in the final moments of his life, his thoughts turned to others.
“I was inside the ambulance with him,” his daughter Shayla Claiborne said. “My dad said, ‘Hey, Shayla, everything will be okay.’ He told me to stop crying. He kept saying that to me. But I was already crying and feeling heartbroken. That’s what I will take with me for the rest of my life. That’s the reason I’m staying so strong. I hold the memory of his final words deep in my heart.”
Frank Claiborne’s funeral was held on August 7 at Deliverance Evangelistic Church, located at 2001 West Lehigh Avenue in North Philadelphia.
Hundreds of family members and friends attended the funeral service. One memorable highlight from the service was when his daughter Shayla performed a dance solo in tribute to her father. Dressed in a silver and light blue sequined dress, Shayla did an amazing job as she performed her praise-dancing routine in front of the attendees. For nearly 10 minutes, people were left speechless as Shayla waved her arms and stretched her feet to a pointed position. Moving like an accomplished ballerina while spinning, she never missed a beat. Her dance performance was beautiful and spectacular.
As a husband and father, Frank was devoted to his wife Stephanie and their children, Shayla and Sheldon, for 22 years. They also cherished their three stepchildren: Shaniquea, Steven and Stephanie.
Stephanie Claiborne at Frank’s balloon release ceremony
Photo courtesy: The Claiborne family
Shortly before his death, Frank made the decision to get baptized on March 24, 2025 at his new church in Chester, Pennsylvania, the Life in Christ Cathedral Church.
“He was so excited about being baptized and going to church,” Frank’s cousin, Howard Randolph said. “On that day, he was so happy to get baptized. He wanted to change his life around. I can’t say anything negative about Frank. He always been there for his family. The love he had for his wife and children was so incredible. Frank stayed together with his wife through hard times. He was always about his family. Frank was a person who walked around with old ethics. I believe that’s why his marriage lasted a longtime. He stayed home and made the house his castle.”
In his spare time, Frank volunteered in many areas of sports, and served as a basketball coach for more than eight years for the La-Liga De-Barrio junior NBA Youth Basketball League. His team won several championships during his time. He also dedicated his time as a “basketball dad” for many AAU basketball teams such as the Hunting Park Warriors and Hurricanes. He also did some coaching for the West Oak Lane Gold Diggers.
As a youth basketball coach, Frank was extremely respectful, kindhearted and loyal to his teams.
“When it came to coaching, Frank believed in sharing,” Randolph said. “Frank had talked me into coaching. That’s how I started coaching. I actually loved it. I thought it was a beautiful thing. Frank didn’t do things by himself. He always believed in giving back. He believed coaching was a way of doing it. Frank had such a passion for basketball. He would train his daughter Shayla and pick up other girls and train them. I think that’s what drove him to coach basketball. He had the best interest of the children.”
Overall Frank Claiborne was an avid sports fan who loved the Philadelphia 76ers and Eagles. His most treasured memories were spent at the Super Bowl celebrations for the Philadelphia Eagles. He went to the Super Bowl parade with his wife in 2018 and 2025.
Frank’s career path started when he started working as a glazier, then later hired to work for the Philadelphia Housing Authority, where he recently celebrated 27 years of dedicated service. Recently, he was also awarded several awards and plaques which included a special pendant for his service in the Southwest Philadelphia community.
In April 2025, Frank’s accomplishments were recognized by the Local 332 Union.
In addition to his many awards in the workplace, Frank also served on many ministries, such as the Life Team, where he served food to those in need. He also served with the security team every third Sunday of the month.
During his funeral service, a slide presentation was shown that highlighted different stages of Frank Claiborne’s life. There was also a reading of cards and resolutions. Evangelist Evelyn Manago also read the obituary. It was known during the service that Frank Claiborne attended Randolph Skill Center during his high school years. He graduated from Martin Luther King High School in 1989.
Towards the end of the funeral, Bishop Dickie Robbins gave honor to the entire Claiborne family. A musical selection was performed by Gospel artists “Double Praise.” They were accompanied by Shannon Woodall during its musical performance.
Before leaving the church, the Claiborne family gave thanks to everyone for their outpouring of love and care during this most difficult time. After the service, a private burial was held at Chelten Hills Cemetery in Germantown attended by family members.
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