Clarence Edward Frank Jr., a former resident of Chesterton and Porter, passed away on April 12, 2010. He was 75.

He was born in Chicago on June 27, 1934 to Clarence Edward and Marie C. Frank. He was raised in Chicago and later in Chesterton.

He joined the U.S. Navy following high school and after an early medical release, he left for California in his late teens. It was there he met and married Claudia Jane Monroe. Together they raised five children, and they returned to Indiana, living in Michigan City, Porter, and LaPorte. In 1968, they moved back to California, where Clarence worked in the plastics industry. He earned his pilots license and later built three experimental airplanes. He was a Boy Scout leader, a model railroader, and built miniature dollhouses. After moving to New Mexico, he took up building model boats from full-scale plans. He lived and worked in Hollywood, Glendale, Upland, Patterson, Lompoc, San Rafael and Watsonville before retiring with Clauida to Las Cruses, New Mexico.

Claudia passed away in June of 2008 after 53 years of marriage. A week after her passing, Clarence was diagnosed with cancer. In 2009, Clarence moved to Hughson, Calif. to be with his and Claudia’s long-time friend, Betty Abraham.

He is survived by brothers Floyd Jay Frank of Chesterton and Christopher Lynd Frank of Rough and Ready, Calif.; children Lenora Marie Shaw of Thousand Oaks, Calif., Georgette Bragg of Connecticut, Clarence Edward Frank III of Los Osos, Calif., Gary Charles Frank of Detroit, Mich., and Claudia Jane Sukoo of Burbank, Calif.; 11 grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren.

Services were held in California.

Posted 4/26/2010