Steve's Letter

This wonderful posting is by Steve Patrick, Frank's nephew:

This is a letter I wrote Frank back in mid-December. I meant to send it to him but before I did I heard of his passing. I thought I would post it here though because it expresses how important he was to me.

Dear Uncle Frank,

I was biking into my office this morning when I saw a field full of geese. I don’t know what kind they were, but they were strutting around, honking at one another, and it was funny because just at the very moment that I saw them, I’d been thinking of you a great deal.

Mom, of course, has told me about your health problems and I’ve been very sorry to hear about them.

Did I ever tell you how much I appreciate the time that you and Jo invited us out to Bend, the winter after Dad died? You made a very hard time for me better and I wanted you to know it.

Too, I wanted you to know that I’ve always really looked up to you. I’ve admired you not just for your leadership and your strength, but also for your warmth and your humor, your ability to bring people together, and the great care that you always showed to Grandmother.

Also, I always greatly enjoyed seeing you and my Dad together. The two of you seemed to have such an easy, close relationship and I feel now that my Dad may have even thought of you as the brother he never had.

And of course I have such great memories of all those camping trips and pool parties our families shared. Did anyone ever catch as many fish as our two families did off the big pier in Goose Island that one Thanksgiving?

Anyway, I wanted you to know how much you’ve always meant to me and that I think about you and wish you all the best.

Love,

Steve