Frank J Theissen

85, of Jupiter passed away Sunday evening March 17th, at home.

He was born in 1928, in New Ulm, MN where he graduated from Cathedral High School in 1946 and later received a Bachelor of Science in Zoology from the St. Johns University, Collegeville, MN in 1950. After moving to South Florida he was married to the late Lois P. Theissen in 1969, and they lived together in Ft. Lauderdale, until relocating to Jupiter in 1983.

Frank was a travel agent, musician and band leader until he and his wife decided to try a taste of country life and retired to Jupiter in 1983. After he and his wife Lois carved out a lovely ranch west of Jupiter, Frank turned his sights to helping others and for the last twenty years of his life, became a veritable 'year round Santa' by hand-crafting hundreds of wooden toys and doll houses that brought joy to countless numbers of children within the Palm Beach & Jupiter Head Start programs.

Frank will be dearly missed and is survived by his son Gil Theissen of Ft. Lauderdale, four step-children; Bob Swartzbaugh of Jupiter, Tom Swartzbaugh of Ft. Lauderdale, Jay Swartzbaugh of N. Augusta, SC and Susan Hutter of Woodinville, WA. , and nine step-grandchildren.

A viewing will be held at the Aycock-Riverside Funeral Home 1112 Military Trail in Jupiter, Thursday March 21st from 5 to 7 PM. Interment will be held the next morning, Friday March 22nd at 11AM at Forest Lawn Memorial Gardens, 2401 SW 64th Ave., Plantation FL.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Head Start or Hospice of Palm Beach County.