Frankie was born on November 26, 1934 in Elliston, VA to Frank and Mildred St. Clair.
She was the second of five children and had a very happy childhood growing up on St. Clair mountain in the beautiful and majestic Blue Ridge Mountains. Raised modestly in a community where neighbors helped neighbors, she learned at an early age how serving others could bring joy to others, as well as to herself. Frankie’s parents and siblings were extraordinarily close, and Frankie’s role in the family set the tone for a life of establishing close relationships with every one of her friends, co-workers, and especially her family.
Frankie met the love of her life, Ralph Blasewitz, as she was finishing high school. Ralph was from Yonkers, NY, and was a freshman basketball player for Roanoke College. Their whirlwind romance led to their marriage in 1952. Shortly after they wed, Ralph enlisted in the Navy, they had four children, and settled in nearby Salem, VA. Frankie was thrilled when they built their first home because not only was it her “dream home,” but it had a magnificent view of her beloved Blue Ridge Mountains.
In 1963, the young family relocated to Clearwater, FL where in addition to raising her family, Frankie began working as a medical assistant for Drs. Barker and Patterson Family Medicine. As a young mother, Frankie was a founding member of Light of Christ Catholic Church and volunteered at St. Cecilia School. She and Ralph were also very active volunteers for Clearwater Little League. As her children grew, Frankie continued to work and volunteer at all of their activities at Clearwater Central Catholic High School. Meanwhile, Frankie took on a new challenge as the office manager for Suncoast Internal Medicine where she saw the practice grow and thrive. She led the staff there for nearly three decades until her retirement in 1994. She loved her work and the doctors with whom she worked.
Frankie was a huge sports fan and could hold her own talking about any sport, especially her beloved Buccaneers, Seminoles, and Hokies. She earned the nickname “Frankie Football” for how much football she watched. She, Ralph, and their friends, Don and Chris, were original season ticket holders for the Bucs. Her passion for sports was an undeniable part of her personality that everyone knew and loved.
In retirement, Frankie and Ralph moved to Perico Bay Club in Bradenton where they thoroughly enjoyed the exciting and carefree lifestyle of tennis, traveling, and socializing with new friends. They often commented that they lived in paradise during their time in Perico. They took many trips with their good friends Joan and Dick Kania and with Frankie’s sister Rita and her late husband Bill. Frankie volunteered regularly for Guardian Angels Catholic School in Clearwater, and served as a Eucharistic Minister and Minister to the Sick for her church.
As they got older Frankie and Ralph moved into Mease Manor (now Mease Life) in Dunedin where they met many more new friends. They loved the community feel of independent living and they participated in the many social activities available to them. Independent living afforded them the opportunity to continue to enjoy an active lifestyle without the stresses of everyday life. Friends and family visited them often at Mease Life, especially Rita and Bruce who kept Frankie’s dinner friends supplied with wine.
Anyone who met Frankie knew that she never met a stranger and she was loved and respected by everyone. She had a knack for making everyone feel special and always saw the good in everyone. Her trademark compliment was “bless your heart!”.
She loved her four children and their spouses and was so proud of every one of their accomplishments. In addition, Frankie had 10 grandchildren and 18 great grandchildren whom she absolutely adored! They loved her back just as unconditionally. They knew that they could never do wrong in the eyes of their mother, grandmother and great grandmother. In her later years it was the love she had for her family, particularly the love she had for her grandchildren and great grandchildren, that gave her great joy. She also continued to grow in faith throughout her life, which helped her to deal with the many medical challenges that she faced, including Ralph being diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease.
Frankie is survived by her husband of 70 years, Ralph Blasewitz. She is also survived by two brothers, Guy St. Clair (Andrew) and Rowe St. Clair, and one sister, Rita Allan (Bruce). On Ralph’s side, she is survived by her sister-in-law, Mary Jane Larsen. In addition, she is survived by her four children, Dave (Linda), Joe (Mary), Mike (Helena) and Cindy (Pat), her 10 grandchildren (Bob, Michael, Katie, Matt, Brian, Kevin, Lauren, Joe, Jenny, and Leah) and 18 great grandchildren (Carter, Payton, Nora, Finn, Michael, Charlotte, Braxton, Claire, Audrey, Bowen, Adalei, Paisley, Ava Mae, Annie, Connor, Evi, Easton, and Jasper).
In memory of Frankie, donations can be made to the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America at www.azfdn.org and/or Suncoast Hospice at www.suncoasthospicefoundation.org/honor
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