He was deeply loved, adored, funny, handsome, and a special man. He could fix anything - MacGyver style! I deeply regret that I never met him. It'd be a lie to say we don't speak of him often and what he would think about certain things. I've seen the way people get wispy eyed talking about him but it's a testament to all the lives he touched.
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| Grandpa's Graduation Photo |
I've never heard a negative word about him except for his intense struggle with alcoholism. "Frank was a great guy ... if only ... could have.. you know..... stayed off the sauce.". The preferred drink of choice was 7 & 7 for him. He succumbed to the side effects/complications of alcoholism at age 61. He was F.J.P. aka C.E.I (Cleveland Electric Illuminating Company) Frank - he was my grandfather that died 3 years before I was born.
Ironically, "CEI Frank" has become a bit of a Cleveland legend. People that started working at CEI after 1982 aren't sure if he existed or was just an urban legend - they have all heard the name. My grandpa is like some sort of magic unicorn!
As kids we went to Geauga Lake with my father in the early 90's. CEI was having their annual company picnic at the same pavilion. My father introduced my sister & I to some CEI staffers. I'll never forget my Dad telling them "These are CEI Frank's granddaughters" by way of introduction followed with ... " he really existed? " or those that did know/remember him "it's a honor to meet you" sending us on with all kinds of free CEI swag.
Grandpa refused to climb the poles as he'd seen too many friends fried. When massive snow storms blew in, he was one of the first that would head out to help restore power. I've also been told he wired a lot of the houses on the east side (I believe it was east but maybe west) off the books.
My mother has always reflected on her wish that she would have asked him more about the family; however, her generation (the baby boomers) knew not to ask the adults questions.
If he were still with us I would want to ask him:
1. What did you do during WWII? What unit? What are your stories?
* He wanted to be a pilot but had poor vision so he settled for a mechanic MOS. I know he was attached to a (yet unknown unit due to the National Archives Fire) light bomber squadron in Curacao as an A-20 mechanic. It was part of the Battle of the Caribbean. They bombed German boats attempting to enter the Caribbean, at the behest of the Dutch, as it was believed Germany was making a play for Venezuela's oil. He was airlifted back to the US, near the end of the war, due to a near fatal case of malaria in 1944. He stayed stateside after recovering & the remainder of his time was spent in KS working on B-29 Fortress aircrafts. He married my grandma on leave. He was also given leave to attend his brother's funeral mass.
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| Photo sent to my grandmother during WWII |
2. How did you find out your brother died & how did it effect you? Did you ever find out what really happened to Nick? Did you feel guilty that you survived the war but he did not?
* I think the death notification went something like, Melba (Nick's wife) received the telegram. Melba summoned Aunts Katie & Martha (all the boys were at war). The task fell to Katie & Martha to translate to tell my great-grandfather, Louis, that Nick was dead. Someone, I'm guessing one of the sisters, had to write my grandpa and tell him. (Army regulations at this time being what they were - only Melba would have gotten a telegram.) Or it was withheld until he returned to be told in person (not wanting to upset him in a combat theater).
3. What is the real story about your multiple birth dates?
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