Francis Peter Ludwig

Frank was born on March 25, 1942, in the town of Stockbridge, Wisconsin, to Albert and Esther Ludwig. He graduated from Chilton High School and went on to serve as a Russian interpreter in the U.S. Navy during the Vietnam era. He later worked as a station manager for Northwest Airlines (formerly Republic Airlines and North Central Airlines), where he was known for his ability to befriend everyone—and for his famous dad jokes.

Outside of work, Frank was passionate about his family, golf, the South Dakota Special Olympics, serving as the Westroads Mall Santa Claus for many years, and, most importantly, the Green Bay Packers. He will be remembered for his (sometimes inappropriate) sense of humor and for “Fridays with Frank the Tank,” when everyone wore pink while he worked as a high school security guard after retiring from the airlines.

Frank is survived by his wife, Sharon; his daughters, Natasha Ludwig, Nicole Ludwig, and Carrie (Daniel) Schlueter; his grandchildren, Maryn Page, Lux, Max, and Felix Schlueter; his siblings, Paul (Susan) Ludwig, Mark (Patricia) Ludwig, Luke Ludwig, and Thomas (Elizabeth) Ludwig; brother-in-law, Richard (Beverly) Nordost; and many extended family members and friends who loved him dearly.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Albert and Esther Ludwig; his in-laws, Harold and Mary Nordost; his sister, Carol Ostrowski; his brother-in-law, Raymond Ostrowski; his sister-in-law, Connie Ludwig; his brother-in-law, Robert Nelson; and his grandson, Jameson Page.

A memorial service will be held at Surprise Funeral Care. Funeral Mass will be, Friday, May 16, at 10:30 a.m. at St. Clare of Assisi Catholic Church with the Rosary preceding the service at 10:00 a.m. To honor Frank, the family requests that guests wear pink or Green Bay Packers attire. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent to the Chilton, Wisconsin, VFW; the Chelsea Hutchison Foundation; or the Southwest Autism Research and Resource Center (SARRC).

The family would like to thank Razvan and Oana Dumitru of Blue Horizons Assisted Living for their compassionate care and support.