George W. Frank, 90, Marshfield, died on Thursday, March 3, 2016 at House of the Dove, Marshfield.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:30 am on Thursday, March 10, 2016 at Sacred Heart Catholic Church with Rev. Savarimuthu Selvaraj, Rev. Peter Manickam and Deacon Ray Draeger officiating. Burial will take place in Gate of Heaven Cemetery where military rites will be conducted by the American Legion Post 54 of Marshfield. The visitation will be held on Wednesday from 4:00 pm until 7:00 pm at Rembs Funeral Home and on Thursday from 9:30 am until service time at Sacred Heart Catholic Church. A Knights of Columbus rosary service will be held on Wednesday at 6:30 pm at the funeral home.
George William Frank, 90, was born November 21, 1925 to Anton Peter and Caroline Barbara (Dersch) Frank on a farm near Brookfield in Waukesha County. He was the third of eleven children.
He attended Fairview Grade School and Waukesha High School before moving to rural Marshfield in 1942. While still in high school he volunteered with the Army Air Corps with the expectation that he could finish high school. He was drafted in 1943. He completed his GED after his honorable discharge in 1946.
While in service he attended the Army Air Force Radio School in Madison, WI, the electronic school in Rantoul, IL, and the radar school in Boca Raton, FL. He was then assigned to the troop carrier command as radar instructor at Sedalia, MO. A Corporal at age 19, he became instructor in Advanced Ground and Airborne Radar Systems to classes of officers in Missouri and Arkansas.
He was honorably discharged in 1946 and moved to Milwaukee, WI to attend the Milwaukee School of Engineering. While attending school he worked at Radio Laboratories.
George founded the Milwaukee Association of Radio and Television Servicers (MARTS) for southeast Wisconsin, an organization designed to improve the relationship between the television servicers and their customers. He was a charter member of the Wisconsin Electronic Dealers Association (WEDA)and served many terms as secretary and treasurer. While in Milwaukee he was a member and organizer for the Local 494 IBEW Television Servicer Technicians.
In 1953, he moved back to Marshfield and became a service manager for a local company.
In 1954 he met Eileen Hasenohrl and they married on October 15, 1955. They had four daughters, Lisa, Louise, Mary and Alice.
In 1957, George began his own business, Frank's Audio and TV. He also did service work for a number of commercial accounts including local and governmental units. He retired in 1995.
In 1964 he was elected 9th Ward Alderman and served until 1970. He was on the Board of Public Works and served as chairman. He was a member of the Airport Committee, Marshfield-Wood County Center Commission, and was in charge of the Marshfield park and zoo system. In 1970 he ran for the office of Mayor of Marshfield but was defeated. In September he was elected by the city council to the first of three 5 year terms on the Marshfield Utilities Commission, and served as president of the commission for 9 years.
George sang in the Sacred Heart Church Choir beginning in 1954 until last year when he had to stop due to his health. He was a member of the parish council and had served as president of the school board.
More recently he served on the Catholic Cemeteries Association as secretary, and vice president of St.Vincent DePaul board of directors, and as a member of the Outreach Center.
He was predeceased in death by his wife Eileen on March 20, 2010 after a short battle with cancer. He is survived by his four daughters, Lisa Frank of Portland, OR, Louise Frank of Marshfield, Mary Meyer of Hales Corners, and Alice Frank of Madison. Grandchildren Amanda (Matthew) Spindler of Wisconsin Rapids, Andrea Gluch of Marshfield, Ryan Gluch of Stevens Point, Steven Meyer of Hales Corners, and Jason Meyer of Kenosha. Also, great grandchildren Jayden Calley and Ethan Spindler.
He is survived by his sister Virginia (Forrest) Torgerson, Caroline Neuman, and John (Cathy) Frank.
He was predeceased by his parents Anton and Caroline Frank, sisters Antoinette Koch, Mary Marx, Jane Grey, Elizabeth Frank, and Rose Frank, and brothers Kenneth and Howard.
"Jesus lives in my heart."
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be designated in George's name to St. Vincent de Paul Outreach or Sacred Heart Parish.
Condolences may be sent online to www.rembsfh.com