Frank Arthur Gleason passed away peacefully on Sunday, January 27, 2019 at age 98. Born in Scranton, PA on September 20, 1920, Frank achieved Eagle Scout at 15, graduated from Wilkes-Barre High School at 16, and by 1941 at the age of 20, he had earned his BS degree at Penn State in Chemical Engineering. While there, he became Intercollegiate Champion and an All American Athlete in wrestling, winning 3rd at the Nationals. He was commissioned as 2nd Lieutenant in the US Army after completing ROTC at Penn State. Later, after WWII, Frank attended Harvard University where he earned an MS in Civil Engineering, graduating 3rd in his class. A retired U.S. Army Colonel who served 29 years, Frank led a highly colorful career from his earliest sabotage missions with OSS operations in China during WWII to Commander of the 3rd Support Brigade 7th Army, in West Germany, then in his final tour of duty in Viet Nam as the Commanding Officer of Cam Rahn Bay Support Command. In recognition of his service, Frank received the Congressional Gold Medal for service in OSS during WWII, the Distinguished Service Award, the Legion of Merit (third oak leaf cluster), and a number of others. After his long career and retirement from the Army, Frank worked in several managerial positions at Georgia Institute of Technology. He is survived by his loving wife of 73 years, Eunice Lee Parry, his two daughters, Faith (Chris) Cordray and Julie (Keith) Little and son, Tim (Lisa) Gleason, 5 grandchildren and one great-grandchild. Frank was pre-deceased by his oldest son, Paul, who died in 2010. Frank was widely traveled and conversant in French, German, Turkish, and Chinese at various points in his life. He often recited poems of poets such as Robert W. Service and Rudyard Kipling. A great jokester and story teller, Frank often clarified to the uninitiated that he had “seen the monkey and heard the owl.”
A service will be held at Northside United Methodist Church at 11 am on February 9 with reception afterwards in the fellowship hall.
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