Where Did The D’franco Name Come From?

When

Where or how did a company come up with their name has always intrigued me. I never thought about how D’franco came about would be of interest to anyone, but that is what I get for thinking.

About 9 years ago when working for myself as “A Painted Wall” I had to make a needed stop for gas. As I was pumping gas in my van, another painted pulled up aside from me. We shared a quick smile and nod. After paying my bill we said a few hellos, talked about what we were doing for work, shared in the struggle of finding help and a light bulb went off. Frank Capra was his name.

Origin

We ended up having a few phone calls, then decided to work together on a few jobs to see how things went. Frank was miles ahead of me as a Faux Finisher, but was patient and led me to take some classes at Chicago Institute of fine finishes. After taking some classes, then working some more together we decided to team up. It was Frank driving in a car that came up with merging David and Frank adding a CO (not sure if that was for Cook or Company) and the name D’franco was born.

So if you call because you want an Italian painter, sorry I am Far from Italian. My mother is from Ukraine, and my father is a little more mixed. The first Cook in our family was brought here as a slave to work for his fare to come to the US. He worked several more years to pay for his wife to come here. John Cooke then worked as a farmer before “joining” the south in the civil war, was captured, then was “asked” to be part of the North’s efforts. After the civil war, he was involved with the American Indians, Cherokee, that lived in the Virginia Appalachia Mountains.  Past family members include tribe members of the Cherokee people as well as other People who came to America for a new life.  So English, Ukrainian, little Native American, and a lot of other American and you have David Cook of D’franco Painting & Wallpaper.