Richard "Dick" Lawrence Frame, Sr.

Richard "Dick" Lawrence Frame, 85, beloved husband, father, grandfather, and friend to all who knew him, passed away May 29, 2025 after a long and courageously fought battle with ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease). A memorial and celebration of his life will be held Thursday, June 5th at Vineville United Methodist Church at 2:00pm with Dr. Jimmy Asbell officiating. Visitation will follow in the Christian Life Center.

Dick was born in Indianapolis, Indiana on April 26, 1940 to the late Doris Hubbard Frame and William Taylor Frame. Shortly after graduation in 1958 from Broad Ripple High School in Indianapolis, the family moved to Macon. Dick and his twin brother Steve then attended Georgia Tech. While there, he was a member of the track team, Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity and Vice President of the Student Body. Dick excelled in the 220-yard hurdles, sprints, relays and long jump. One of the highlights of his athletic career was defeating the 1959 Heisman Trophy winner Billy Cannon in an SEC meet - an achievement he never forgot.

Upon graduation in 1962, he joined the United States Coast Guard. In 1963, he married the love of his life, Mary (Marty) Truett Jackson of Montgomery, Alabama. After her graduation from Agnes Scott, they moved to Macon and Dick began a 43-year career as a Sales Engineer with The Trane Company. The last 16 years he had the privilege of working alongside his son Rick. He and Marty loved to travel and together built a life full of faith, laughter and love, raising four children - Rick, Jacki, Jeff and Taylor - instilling in them the same determination and humility he brought to every aspect of his life.

Dick was very active in the Macon community and was proud to call it home. He was a member of Vineville United Methodist Church where he was in the Webb Fellowship Sunday School class, served on the Board, and ushered for many years. He was a member of the first Leadership Georgia Class in 1972, past President of the Macon SAE Alumni Association and a member of the Macon Civic Club where for many years he enjoyed performing in the annual variety show. He served in many capacities at Vine-Ingle Little League - coach, board member, team manager and all star manager. One of his favorite memories was when his oldest son Rick helped him coach his younger sons, Jeff and Taylor, on the Reds when they won the Major League Championship game.

For over 40 years Dick was a volunteer track coach specializing in the hurdles at First Presbyterian Day School (FPD). He also served as the official State Starter for the GISA state track meet from 1982 to 2010. He coached his daughter Jacki and saw her win Region in the hurdles her senior year of high school. 32 years later, he was able to coach his granddaughter, Sadie, who also won the Region Championship her senior year. During his volunteer career, he had 25 athletes go on to win the State Championship in the hurdles and over 35 runners up. Coach Frame was always positive and known for his encouraging notes he wrote each week to his hurdlers. He was also known for quoting the poem “The Man Who Thinks He Can” which many of his hurdlers have used in graduation speeches and favorite quotes for yearbooks. He will be remembered not just for the races he started or the records his athletes broke, but for the lives he shaped with quiet encouragement, principled leadership and the enduring truth that success begins with belief. Truly, he was “the man who thinks he can.”

In 2000, Dick was awarded the T. Sam Burke award by the Macon Telegraph for Service to High School sports. In 2010, FPD awarded him the Outstanding Service Award for his contributions to the school with his coaching skills. In 2016, he was inducted into the Macon Sports Hall of Fame and in 2018 he was honored by the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame with the Taz Anderson Award. Dick leaves a legacy of service to FPD which was commemorated in 2014 when they honored him by naming the track - the Dick Frame Complex. FPD also hosts the Dick Frame Track Invitational each year in the spring.

A devoted family man, he dearly loved his wife, children and grandchildren and nothing made him happier than when he was with his family and supporting the many activities of his grandchildren. He is survived by his loving wife of over 61 years, Mary "Marty" Truett Jackson Frame; his children, Richard "Rick" Lawrence Frame Jr. (Cheri) of Macon, Mary Jackson "Jacki" Frame Spivey (Scott) of Macon, Jeffrey "Jeff" Truett Frame of Prague, Czech Republic and William "Taylor" Frame (Keeb) of Atlanta; seven grandchildren, Jackson Spivey (Maddie), Sadie Frame, Jay Spivey, Truett Frame, Cammie Frame, Mary Vella Frame and Fletcher Frame; his sisters-in-law, Kay Frame and Sheila Frame both of Columbia, South Carolina, and Madeline Jackson Taylor (Don) of Montgomery, Alabama; many wonderful nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his twin brother, Steve Frame and younger brother, David Frame.

His love for Georgia Tech never wavered. He was very proud that he was on the committee that was formed to find the first Ramblin' Wreck car. He was the Yellow Jackets’ biggest fan - proudly sporting gold and white, cheering on his team no matter what the season. One of his greatest joys was watching three of his children and three of his grandchildren attend his alma mater.

“Pop” as he was affectionately known to his grandchildren was a fighter to the end. He was diagnosed the week before he turned 69 with ALS and although the disease slowly made him confined to his chair, he never complained or said “why me?” Dick was a mentor and friend as well as role model and true inspiration for anyone who was ever around him. Maya Angelou once said, “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” Truer words were never spoken - Dick always made you feel like you were the only person in the room and will be so missed by all who knew and loved him. 2 Timothy 6-7 “For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith.”

In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to Vineville United Methodist Church, 2045 Vineville Avenue, Macon, Georgia 31204 or First Presbyterian Day School Track Program, 5671 Calvin Drive, Macon, Georgia 31210 or ALS United of Georgia, 227 Sandy Springs Place, Suite D, Box 304, Sandy Springs, Georgia 30328.

The family would like to give special thanks to Dick's caregiver, Pamela Knox, for her love, care and support.

Snow's Memorial Chapel, Bass Road, has charge of arrangements.