Frank Lizanich

Died November 24, 2019

Frank Lizanich was born in Footedale, Pennsylvania in late September, 1921 to Helen and Frank Lizanich. Frank was their sixth child; he was named Frank after an elder brother with the same name died as an infant.

Frank’s father worked as a coal miner and his mother was a homemaker. Both emigrated from Eastern Europe, present-day Ukraine. They met and married here, raising 11 children in a two-bedroom house: John, Michael, Charles, Anna, Frank, Helen, George, Julie, Steve, Margaret and Andrew. Frank often told stories about what it was like growing up in a large family in the coal patch of Allison, Pennsylvania. Frank was enlisted to stomp on salted cabbage in a 50-gallon barrel for an entire day so that the family would have enough sauerkraut for the entire winter. He admitted that this sauerkraut-making method required him to wash his feet very well. Doing without and making do brought out the innovator in Frank; he made his own snow skis from wood, utilizing hot water, steam and lye to curl the tips. He made the bindings out of straps, and enlisted his youngest brother Andy to climb on the back of his skis so they could go down the mountain together.

In 1940, Frank graduated from Redstone Township High School, Republic, Pennsylvania. He said he would have made it out a year earlier if he hadn’t been held back a year in third grade due to an accident when he fell from a swing, chipped a bone and lost a bit a time that year.

In 1940, he joined the Civilian Conservation Corps, often called the CCC, out of Swallow Falls, Maryland. For six months he worked as a driver and mechanic on conservation and trail projects. He earned one dollar a day, and with his monthly income of $30, he sent $25 of that home to his mother.

In 1941, he joined three brothers living in New York City, and they worked at the Schraffts Candy Company. Later in 1941 he got into Western Electric in Kearney, New Jersey, doing switchboard assembly and wiring.

On September 3, 1942, he enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps. He was hired as a typing clerk in the Provost Marshall’s Office, part of the Military Police, and spent much of the war at Midland Air Force Base in Texas. He later completed training in the rifle and pistol, and earned the Military Policeman Specialist designation. By the time he was discharged from the Army Air Corp on December 7, 1945, he was stationed in California at Camp Pinedale.

In 1946 he returned to Western Electric in Kearney, New Jersey and attended electronics school in nearby Newark. In 1949 he was laid off from Western Electric, went back home to Allison, Pennsylvania for three months, then returned to New Jersey for another try.

In 1950 he was hired by Flying Tigers Airline, a cargo carrier. He worked as an aircraft electrician in Newark, New Jersey until they closed Newark Airport in 1952 due to three crashes in a row (American, United and Florida). Because that airport was closed for two to three years, Flying Tigers moved out to Idlewild in New York, now Kennedy International Airport.

In February 1951, Frank married Natalie Kotch of Olyphant, Pennsylvania. They later moved to Rockaway, New Jersey, where they raised two daughters, Suzanne and Christine, and a son Lawrence. In 1952 Frank joined Bell Laboratories in Murray Hill, New Jersey as a technical assistant where he wired and assembled. His department worked on the transatlantic cable, Telstar and TASI (Time Assignment Switching Interpolator), which is voice activated switching – half-time talking, half-time listening.

How to account for twenty some years in the telephone company? Frank assembled the first digital telephone exchange, No. 4 Electronic Switching System (ESS). He worked on the color transmission of TV, conducted research on Telstar’s batteries and played a role in digital filters, the artificial larynx, star wars game and solar cells. He was often asked to make a prototype as he worked closely with the Ph.D.’s who led various initiatives. He was proud to say he worked alongside Nobel Prize-winning scientists John Bardeen, Walter Brattain and William Shockley. He took on special assignments in Red Bank and Whippany, New Jersey. In 1976, on his 55th birthday, he retired from Bell Laboratories.

From 1976-77, he worked for himself in a home repair business in Rockaway, New Jersey. In 1977, he moved to Brandon, Florida with his wife Natalie and young son Lawrence. During his twenty-some years in Rockaway, New Jersey, Frank volunteered as a coach in youth baseball and ice hockey, forming many friendships throughout the community.

In 1978 Frank was hired by Piper Aircraft in Lakeland, Florida, where he worked as an aircraft electronics technician on new aircraft. A true highlight from those years: one of the planes he worked on was flown by the first man to fly faster than the speed of sound. That was Chuck Yeager who broke that barrier in the 1940’s, after the war, on an X-1 aircraft. When Piper Aircraft moved to Vero Beach in 1985, Frank retired yet again.

But he was not retired for long. In 1985 he signed on with Action Staffing, a company that provided human resource services to small business, such as payroll accounting, employee unemployment insurance, employee liability insurance and workers compensation. Frank sold those services with his good friend, Joe.

In 1987, he left Action Staffing, but continued to work on home repairs for his family and friends, as well as pursue his interest in ice skating and ice dancing.

Frank has been an avid member of a local coffee club in Brandon where he formed many close friendships. He also enjoyed working out at the MAC exercise facility associated with First Baptist Church of Brandon, FL. The Lizanich family attends Nativity Catholic Church in Brandon.

Frank went to be with the Lord on Sunday November 24, 2019 at 11:07 AM Eastern time. He was 98 years old. He is survived by many loving family members and friends, including his wife of 68 years, Natalie Lizanich, who resides in Brandon Florida. Frank’s three children include: Suzanne Lizanich-Aro [husband Karl Aro] (Silver Spring, MD); Christine Bodine (Williams Bay, WI); and Lawrence Lizanich (Plant City, FL). Frank’s surviving siblings include his brother George Lizanich (Parma, OH); sister Margaret Cramer (Grindstone, PA); and sister Helen Garcia (Rahway, NJ). Frank’s grandchildren include Ted Bodine (Chicago, IL); Steve Aro [wife Krista Baron] (Wexford, PA); Caroline Aro (Silver Spring, MD); and Kassi Lizanich (Shelby Township, MI). Frank is survived by many treasured nieces and nephews who live across the country.

Funeral arrangements are through Stowers Funeral Home, Brandon FL. Interment will be at Hillsboro Memorial Gardens, Brandon FL. Memorial gifts in lieu of flowers can be directed to the tribute program at the Alzheimer’s Association.