Franklin
Franklin “Frank” Raymond Forte
Franklin Raymond Forte, know to most as “Frank” and to his two surviving daughters as “Dad”, succumbed to the ravages of Covid-19 on Sunday, January 16, 2022. He was well known for his commitment to family, service to his country, dedication to democracy, trombone extraordinaire and lastly, his blue humor. Frank passed away, in Chandler, AZ where he lived since the year 2014. He was 94 years old when he contracted Covid and couldn’t fight off the pneumonia.
Frank was born on December 22, 1927, in York, Pennsylvania. He attended Lehigh University and Gettysburg College, both in Pennsylvania. Frank married the late Janet Marie Kerr on July 26, 1950, in York Pennsylvania. He was predeceased by his oldest child Frank Forte, and survived by his two daughters, Denise Forte Munoz and Julie Ann Forte, and four grandchildren Kirsten, Laurel, Cassie and Alec, and eight great-grandchildren.
Before Frank and Janet were married, Frank was a Corporal in the United States Marine Corp. He was honorably discharged in July of 1948 but was called back through the United States Marine Corp Reserves, honorably discharged as a Sergeant in July of 1951. His specialty was Bandsman, Trombone. He never lost his love of music and played his trombone almost every week until he passed.
In 2020, his traditional Memorial Day trombone rendition of TAPS was highlighted on a local Phoenix TV station and can be seen here at this link: https://www.abc15.com/news/region- southeast-valley/chandler/even-without-an-audience-this-retired-marines-tune-hasnt-dimmed. Frank said the pandemic wasn’t going to prevent him from honoring those past and present who serve their country.
Just this past September, Frank’s service to his country was honored by the non profit organization, Dream Flights. Never one to pass up a once in a life time opportunity, Frank was thrilled to fly in a Stearman biplane and to share his life stories with the Dream Flight historians.
Frank worked with computer programming before most of us even knew what a computer was. Picture those big rooms with their own air conditioning and punch cards! He retired from Rockwell International, now Boeing Integrated Defense Systems, specifically working for the space division in Los Angeles, California.
His family will be holding a memorial service where he and his late wife Janet lived since 2014, at Atria Chandler Villas, 101 South Yucca Street, Chandler, Arizona on March 12, 2022 at 10 o’clock am and will be laid to rest in York, Pennsylvania with his wife and eldest child. The memorial in York will be announced at a later date, as his family is waiting until the pandemic slows down a little to travel from Arizona to
Frank was born on December 22, 1927, in York, Pennsylvania. He attended Lehigh University and Gettysburg College, both in Pennsylvania. Frank married the late Janet Marie Kerr on July 26, 1950, in York Pennsylvania. He was predeceased by his oldest child Frank Forte, and survived by his two daughters, Denise Forte Munoz and Julie Ann Forte, and four grandchildren Kirsten, Laurel, Cassie and Alec, and eight great-grandchildren.
Before Frank and Janet were married, Frank was a Corporal in the United States Marine Corp. He was honorably discharged in July of 1948 but was called back through the United States Marine Corp Reserves, honorably discharged as a Sergeant in July of 1951. His specialty was Bandsman, Trombone. He never lost his love of music and played his trombone almost every week until he passed.
In 2020, his traditional Memorial Day trombone rendition of TAPS was highlighted on a local Phoenix TV station and can be seen here at this link: https://www.abc15.com/news/region- southeast-valley/chandler/even-without-an-audience-this-retired-marines-tune-hasnt-dimmed. Frank said the pandemic wasn’t going to prevent him from honoring those past and present who serve their country.
Just this past September, Frank’s service to his country was honored by the non profit organization, Dream Flights. Never one to pass up a once in a life time opportunity, Frank was thrilled to fly in a Stearman biplane and to share his life stories with the Dream Flight historians.
Frank worked with computer programming before most of us even knew what a computer was. Picture those big rooms with their own air conditioning and punch cards! He retired from Rockwell International, now Boeing Integrated Defense Systems, specifically working for the space division in Los Angeles, California.
His family will be holding a memorial service where he and his late wife Janet lived since 2014, at Atria Chandler Villas, 101 South Yucca Street, Chandler, Arizona on March 12, 2022 at 10 o’clock am and will be laid to rest in York, Pennsylvania with his wife and eldest child. The memorial in York will be announced at a later date, as his family is waiting until the pandemic slows down a little to travel from Arizona to
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