The son of Frank and Filomena Lukas, Frank was born July 27, 1926, and grew up in Chicago, Illinois.
At the age of 18, in November 1944, Frank was drafted and assigned to the US Navy. From December 1945 to May 1946, he served as a Radar Tech and Electrician on the LST-658 as part of the Amphibious corps assigned for repatriation of the Japanese military and civilians. He was discharged July 1, 1946.
Frank graduated from the University of Illinois at Champaign Urbana with a BSME in February 1950. His career included working in Aeronautical Engineering for Convair, General Dynamics, and Astronmic, including Projects Mercury and Gemini on the Altas rocket for NASA while with General Dynamics in San Diego.
Frank met his wife Mary Beth at a Christmas party in Chicago in December 1946. After completing his Engineering degree, they were married July 29, 1950. They moved to San Diego the following December for his job with Convair. While in San Diego they raised 4 children. In 1968 the family moved to Upland, California for Frank’s job transfer to General Dynamics, Pomona. In 1988 Frank and Mary built their retirement home on the golf course at Silver Lakes, near Helendale. They enjoyed playing golf, swimming in their backyard pool and playing bridge with friends during their retirement years. Frank continued his lifelong interest building models of ships and airplanes. After Mary Beth’s death in 2013, Frank moved to Grossmont Gardens Senior Living in 2015.
Frank is survived by his sister, Rose Nechvatal, children Andrea Ramsey, Ben Lukas, Claudia Sereno, Diane Doris, 4 grandchildren and 3 great grandchildren.
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