Robert Andrew Frank

Robert Andrew Frank, age 84, passed peacefully on December 19, 2025, in Morton, Illinois, surrounded by his family. He was born on September 12, 1941, in Peoria, Illinois, and spent his entire life in or near East Peoria, a place he was proud to call home.

Robert retired from Caterpillar in 2006 after 41 years of dedicated service. His career reflected who he was at his core. Dependable, steady, and committed, he believed in showing up, doing the work well, and letting actions speak louder than words.

Outside of work, Robert found joy in the simple, meaningful routines of life. He loved his family, and his favorite hobby was raising and caring for his pigeons. He enjoyed tending to his garden where he grew vegetables and flowers, taking quiet satisfaction in patience, consistency, and care.

He was a wise man of few words, known for a sharp, dry sense of humor that often slipped in unexpectedly. If you were listening closely, you caught it, and if you did, it stayed with you.

Robert is survived by his wife, Carole L. (East) Frank; his siblings, Jerry H. Frank and his wife Beverly (Muller) Frank and Alvin C. Frank; and Robert’s children, Kevin L. Frank and his wife Kathryn (Green) Frank, Anthony A. Frank and his wife Lisa A. (Edenburn) Frank, and Robert A. Frank and his wife Kristen M. Freudinger; his step-children, Larry R. Sylvester Jr. and Melodie L. (Sylvester) Clemens and her husband Michael Clemens; five grandchildren; and four step-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Benjamin Frank and Hildred M. (Ames) Frank; his siblings, Benjamin P. Frank and his wife Vivian (Du Mars) Frank, Reuben “Jack” Frank and his wife Violet (Engstrom) Frank, Regina C. (Frank) Anderson and her husband Harold A. Anderson, Mary E. (Reed) Lewis and her husband James E. Lewis, David M. Frank I and his wife Iris H. (Vinson) Frank, Edwin G. Frank and his wife Joyce (Garwood) Frank, Wilbert E. Frank who is survived by his wife Cora M. (Garcia) Frank, Ruth E. (Frank) Kerr and her husband Donald Kerr, Donna M. A. Frank, Jean E. (Frank) Smith who is survived by her husband Charles R. Smith, and Roy D. Frank who is survived by his wife Dorothy E. (Miller) Frank. He was also preceded in death by his former wife, Carol G. (Hertenstein) Frank, and his step-son, Michael A. Sylvester.

Robert will be remembered for his calm presence, his quiet wisdom, and the humor you had to listen for. He was a steady figure in a changing world, and his loss is deeply felt by those who knew him, and we always will love and miss him dearly.