Clara W. Frankenfield

Clara W. Frankenfield, age 85, passed away on Friday, February 9, 2018 from a long-term heart condition at her son’s home under loving care with him and his fiancé by her side. Clara always nourished people around her with love and faith, and many times has been called the “sweetest lady ever”. Born on May 13, 1932 to J.W. and Edna Wilkins, she was raised on their 10 acre farm in Cocoa at US1 and 520. She remained in Cocoa and Rockledge all her life. During and after graduating from Cocoa high school in 1950, she helped manage the Oleander Rooms apartments with her parents. She also worked in the box office at the State Theater (now Village Playhouse). Carl Frankenfield, from the new Eastern Test Range, started boarding at Oleander rooms in 1953. Clara and Carl soon fell in love, and they were married in 1955. Clara worked at the Winn-Lovet (Dixie) as a cashier, and later as secretary for Central Brevard Loan Company. By 1958, they purchased their one and only home in Rockledge, and had a son, Bruce Frankenfield the same year. Clara began attending the First Baptist Church of Cocoa as a first grader along with her life-long friend Pat Knight (Merritt), and continued to serve and work with the church until the present, amounting to 79 years of devotion to the church. She worked as a visitation secretary, and coordinated visits and caring of the sick and injured. Later in life she provided a transportation service to those in need of help, which kept her very active and much in demand, as were her famous key lime pies!

If there were ever was a perfect example of a loving, ideal mother, then Clara was it. There was never a flaw in her performance as “Mom”. Left to honor Clara and remember her love is her only son, Bruce Frankenfield, his fiancée Anita Tricoli, and two first cousins, once removed; Jack and Don Kisselbach. Clara was preceded in death by her husband. She shall be remembered as a bright, shining light that always cared and loved, whose smile and motherly sweetness remained to her last day with us.

Funeral services will start 1:00 PM on Sunday, February 25, 2018 at the First Baptist Church of Cocoa, 750 Brevard Avenue, Cocoa, officiated by Pastor Ron Handlon. Burial will follow at Florida Memorial Gardens in Rockledge. Afterwards, reception and visiting will resume from 5:00 to 7:00 pm at the church in Cocoa. The family would like to extend our gratitude to the staff of Health First Hospice group for their attentiveness and loving care.