Frank Eugene Arie

Frankie is survived by his pride and joy—his daughter, Aubree Arie-Thormann; his three beautiful grandchildren, Elijah, Viviana, and Kaia; his brother, David; his brothers in Christ, James Jones and John Carey. He is also survived by many deeply loved cousins, nieces, nephews, and friends.

Frankie is preceded in death by his mother, Jilliane Rayburn, and his dear sister, Tina Arie.

Frankie was born on January 26, 1970, to his beloved mother, Jilliane Rayburn. As a child, he loved spending time outdoors, riding horses, and playing baseball. His home life was hard, and due to the absence of positive role models, he got lost on his journey to adulthood. This unfortunately led him to a life in and out of prisons and eventually to a life sentence in a Texas penitentiary.

Those who had the privilege of knowing Frankie reminisce fondly about his keen sense of humor and his open heart. In prison, he worked hard to teach English to immigrants. He was a faithful follower of Christ and graduated in December 2025 from the Heart of Texas Foundation of Ministry. He dreamed of opening his own church one day. He was incredibly smart and was writing his own inclusive discipleship course in English and Spanish. He also learned Greek and Hebrew so that he could read the Bible in their original languages.

Frank spent much of his time “tier walking.” He performed wellness checks on other inmates across many units, helping provide them with moral support, advice, resources, and materials they needed. He felt compelled to lift up others around him, and give the love that he deserved in his life.

Frank was also an artist. He was a skilled illustrator, but his passion was with words rather than pictures. He had a strong talent for illustrating his feelings and emotions through beautiful poems and deep writings.

When Frank was not exercising his mind or helping others, he was exercising his body. And when he was not preaching, he was working out and forcing his friends to get fit with him! He was known for his strict fitness regimen and would wake up as early as 3:30 a.m. to get active.

And finally, those who love him remember his immense pride in being a father and grandfather. Though he was not able to raise his daughter physically, he wrote letters to her for over 20 years. Whether it was watching Pixar Cars from his prison-issued tablet, figuring out what “Pink Pony Club” was, or researching autism in his spare time, he did absolutely anything he could to bond with his grandchildren as well. He was said to be at his happiest when sharing updates about their lives. Even from states away, he made sure that every ounce of his love was felt.

Frank Eugene Arie was a true testament to the power of faith and what it looks like to completely devote your life to Christ. The picture of resilience, he turned his life around and found ways to make a difference even from prison. He changed the lives of so many other men around him and found his calling by helping others to grow and evolve the same way he did.

His graveside service will be held at 10:00 am on Friday, October 23, 2026 at East Lawn Memorial Gardens, Bloomington. A celebration of life gathering will be held from 11:00 to 1:00pm on Friday, October 23, 2026 at Shake It Up Cocktail Lounge, Bloomington. Cremation rites have been accorded. East Lawn Funeral Home is assisting the family.

One of his last wishes was to open a savings account for his grandchildren and leave behind a legacy that spoke to who he truly was and not what the world labeled him as. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to his grandchildren’s savings fund.

To share condolences with the family and view his online tribute, please visit EastLawnMemorial.com