Francis Joseph 'Frank' Madden

Frank always said '85% of life is showing up', and he lived this truth until the very end. Frank passed away Dec 17th due to injuries from a fall. Before that, he was living life as fully as possible.

Frank Madden was born in Indianapolis to John Francis and Geneva Louise (Stalcup) Madden. The youngest of three brothers, he learned to play on his own and keep his own mind. After grade school at St. Joan of Arc and high school at Marmion Academy in Chicago, he obtained a BS in Chemistry from Loyola University. After college, he worked at G.D. Searle Pharmaceutical Company in Skokie, developing compounds for testing. Always a snappy dresser, one auspicious October afternoon a few of his roommates asked to borrow from his tie collection. When Frank realized his best ties were going to a dance between Loyola (all men) and Mundelein College (all women) he decided to 'show up' for life. There he met a woman of equal mind and determination, his future bride Mary Patricia Dorsey.

Six months into dating, Patty called Frank on his birthday and sang him 'Happy Birthday'. Deeply touched by this gift, Frank proposed to Patty three days later, on her birthday. They married in Chicago in 1960 and spent the next 61 years as equal partners in life.

At the request of family, Frank and Patty returned to Indianapolis, where he worked as an accountant and managed business. Along the way he earned an MBA from Northwestern Kellogg School of Management. He spent the final decade of his working career at the LOM Corporation, an architectural firm where he managed both accounting and HR aspects of the business. He was immensely proud of the work he did for LOM, where he was able to create a dignified and rewarding environment for the employees. After retirement, he spent 20 years as a business mentor with SCORE, helping countless individuals start small businesses and serving as president of the Indianapolis SCORE chapter.

Frank’s lifelong hobby was building model ships, intricate woodworking that ranged from small Viking craft to great clipper ships. He also loved playing tennis, and taught all his children how to play. He frequently spent weekends on home repair and modest improvement projects like building a patio with roof, and fixing “that *&%# wet crawl space the idiot builder messed up”. Unlike tennis, no children were harmed in these endeavors. Frank and Patty (Mary Pat to everyone else) loved to travel, touring Russia, China, Spain, Portugal, France, Egypt, Alaska and the UK. For Frank, every trip and every hobby was a way to enrich both the mind and body. He also grew the most beautiful roses and lilies for his bride. In his spare time, Frank took copious walks around the neighborhood, pocket full of Milk-Bones, visiting countless canine friends.

Frank was preceded in death by his wife of 61 years Mary Patricia Madden; granddaughter Mary Elizabeth Madden; his parents J. F. and Geneva Madden; and brothers J. William and Charles E. 'Ed' Madden.

He is survived by his three children, Thomas Madden, Janice Sontag and Karen T Madden; daughter-in-law Margaret Madden, and son-in-law Neil Toepfer. He is also survived by his six grandchildren, Eric Madden, Emily Madden-Simmons (Kelton), Christian Sontag (Emma), Raechel Sontag, Colin Toepfer, and Erin Toepfer. He leaves behind five great-grandchildren who brought him much joy and who will miss him dearly: Colton Madden, and Braxton, Natalie, Gatlin and Kalli Simmons.

Frank is lovingly remembered for his endless stories and wit, his ability to worry about anything, and his love for his pets Marmaduke, Amanda, and Waldo. His memory will live on in the hearts of the friends, family, and dogs he leaves behind.

A Funeral and Celebration of Life service will be held Sunday January 5th at Leppert Mortuary – Nora Chapel, 740 East 86th St, Indianapolis, IN, 46240. Calling hours will be from 1-3 pm, and a short service will begin at 3:00. This will be followed immediately by a reception of great food and fellowship, a party that Frank would have loved. Burial will be Monday January 6th at Crown Hill Cemetery.