Frank Rodes Cassilly

Frank was born July 10, 1927 to Frank and Elizabeth (McCarty) Cassilly in Louisville, KY. He graduated from Male High School in 1945. In late August he entered the U.S. Naval Academy Prep School in Bainbridge MD, launching a career that would span 35 years and two wars, and bring deep personal satisfaction to him and his family. It would also extend a legacy of loyalty and service to his country that, through his direct descent from the South family of Franklin County, KY, traces back to the American Revolutionary War.

In 1946, Frank was appointed to the U.S. Naval Academy by Allen Barkley, then-U.S. Senator and later U.S. Vice President under Harry Truman. He met Marjorie Ann Yackee on a blind date during his first class year. They married in Gadsen, AL following Frank’s graduation in 1950, creating a strong and loving partnership that would last more than 62 years, until Marjorie’s death July 12, 2012.

Frank’s first assignment was onboard the USS Redford (July 1950 through December 1952) as U.S. involvement in the Korean War began. Afterwards he completed a six month Gunnery Office Ordinance School course in Washington, DC and next an assignment aboard USS Coral Sea (June 1953-July 1954). Frank’s studies continued at the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, Ca, where he earned a master’s degree in industrial engineering (1956) followed by a master’s degree in electrical engineering (1957) from Purdue University, Lafayette, IN. He completed a two-year assignment onboard USS Boston, preparing him for the next tour of duty, this time as Field Commander for the Defense Atomic Support Agency (DASA) in Albuquerque, NM (August 1959-August 1961) .

Two years onboard USS Conway preceded his assignment to the Bureau of Weapons, Washington, DC (November 1963-April 1965) and two years of service as executive officer onboard USS Chicago (July 1963-December 1966). Frank’s next tour of duty was as commanding officer during the Vietnam War onboard USS Bordelon (January 1967-January 1969). While under his command and in direct combat operations, the ship received a Meritorious Unit Commendation. From February 1969 through August 1972, he was posted once more in Washington, DC, this time to the Office of the Chief of Naval

Operations (OPNAV).

Frank served the next five years as a commanding officer, first at the Naval Weapons Station in Seal Beach, CA then at the Fleet Combat Training Center Pacific in San Diego. He was head of CONTRAPAC, also in San Diego, when he retired from the United States Navy in June 1980 with 35 years service. In addition to Meritorious Unit Commendation with one star mentioned earlier, Frank’s medals and awards include, among others, the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star Medal with Combat V (for valor), Navy Commendation Medal, Navy Expeditionary Medal (Cuba), Combat Action Ribbons, World War II Victory Medal, Vietnam Service Medal with Three Stars; and Korea DNC.

Frank was active in his community, receiving the Pt. Loma Kiwanis Member of the Year award twice. An annual highlight for him and Marjorie was the Kiwanis-sponsored ecumenical Easter Sunrise Service at the Cabrillo National Monument with its beautiful early morning panoramic view of San Diego Harbor and the city as backdrop.

Frank was a parishioner at St. Agnes Catholic Church in Pt. Loma. He and his eldest son Frank Jr., who passed away in 2012, worked together for many years delivering Meals on Wheels to area residents.

His surviving children, Ann Marie Mendelson, Mary Beth Cassilly, and Michael Christian Cassilly, fondly remember their father’s mastery of the art of healthy cooking, including a highly nutritious and substantial bread he regularly baked. They recall his favorite books as On War by Carl von Clausewitz, one the earliest military theorists, and the family dictionary, which he seemed to his children to visualize with a photographic clarity — the only way to explain his extraordinary crossword puzzle skills. They remember him too as extraordinary father.

Also surviving Frank are four grandchildren, Elizabeth Mendelson and Joanna, Helena, and Joseph Cassilly. A memorial service with full military honors service is scheduled for Frank on Thursday, March 26, 2015, 12 noon, at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery in Pt. Loma.

In lieu of flowers please make donation to the Point Loma Kiwanis club.