Frank J. Gaffney Sr. was a lawyer and long-time partner at the law firm Thorp, Reed & Armstrong, which was founded by his father-in-law, Earl F. Reed. He was a classical music aficionado. He was married to Virginia Gaffney (née Reed) and later to Lotti Gaffney at the time of his death on October 23, 2001, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. His paternal grandfather, Joseph Gaffney, served as city solicitor of Philadelphia in the early twentieth century. He was the father of Frank J. Gaffney Jr., as well as Devon Cross (née Gaffney), Terry Gaffney, Michael Gaffney, and Joseph Gaffney.