Frank E. Gossett

Frank was married to Joyce Jefferson Gossett for 61 years. They met in the fifth grade at Eastover Elementary. He is survived by Joyce and their three daughters, Cathleen Dow and her husband Rob, Patti Heller and her husband Jim, Jean Gossett; six grandchildren, Donald Ryder Witter IV and his wife Laura, Edwin Graham Witter, Alexandra Gossett Dow, Robert Tucker Dow and twins, Kaitlin Joyce and John Thomas Walakovits; and also his brother, David Norman Gossett and his wife Shirley. He is also survived by his “best buddy” Winston, his beloved Corgi.

Frank attended Central High School in Charlotte and lettered in basketball and baseball. He graduated from the University of North Carolina in 1950 with a BS Degree in Commerce. While at Carolina he played on the 1947 Freshman Basketball Team and was president of the Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity. The Carolina Tar Heels and ACC basketball remained a huge passion in his life.

Frank joined Pilot Life Insurance Company (now Lincoln Financial) in 1953 and remained with them for 58 years, serving as an agent and then agency manager. In the industry he was a Chartered Life Underwriter, a Life and Qualifying member of the Million Dollar Round Table, a past president of the Charlotte Chapter of the General Agents and Managers Association and a past president of the Charlotte Estate Planning Council. He received the 1989 “Agent of the Year” award for the Charlotte Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors and was awarded the W. H. Andrews Award from Jefferson Pilot Financial in 1991.

Frank was very active in his community serving as a past president of the Charlotte Jaycees and was selected one of the “Ten Outstanding Young Men” in 1964, 1965 and 1966. He was a past president of the Charlotte Sportsman’s Club and a past chairman of the board of the Heart Association.

An avid and accomplished golfer, he played in the 1991 U. S. Senior Amateur Golf Championship. He was a past president of Myers Park Country Club and a current member of Quail Hollow Country Club.

Frank was an active member of Myers Park United Methodist Church and had been a member since 1938. He served as chairman of the Administrative Board and was a cofounding member of the Ownbey Sunday School Class.

A service to celebrate Frank’s life will be held at Myers Park United Methodist Church at 2:00 p.m. on Monday, June 4, 2012, with a reception following in Jubilee Hall.

Memorials may be made to Myers Park United Methodist Church, 1501 Queens Road, Charlotte, NC 28207. The family wishes to extend a special thank you to all the emergency responders.