Franklin H. Nathaniel

Franklin H. Nathaniel lived a quietly remarkable life filled with both unwavering constancy and rich variety that defied both convention and expectations. He died December 28, 2023, in San Antonio, Texas, after years of dealing with the effects of prolonged illnesses and injuries.

Frank was born in the Territory of Hawai’i on May 21, 1939. He was the fourth child of Harry and Katherine Nathaniel. Harry was the battalion chief of the Hilo Fire Department and Katherine was a noted cook in their vibrant community. The ‘ohana (family) was noted for the generosity in times of crisis, especially after two deadly tsunamis struck Hawai’i in Frank’s youth and early adulthood.

Sadly, Frank suffered from repeated respiratory problems throughout his youth and regularly spent extended stretches in Hilo’s hospital. He overcame those challenges and graduated from St. Joseph’s Catholic School in 1957 and then later, Hilo Business College.

Frank moved to Honolulu and worked in a bank by day and at night developed a scheme with friends to park cars in the bank’s parking lot for Waikiki club goers. Frank would always save a parking spot for Don Ho and would later be noted for his remarkable impressions of the Hawaiian entertainer.

It was in Honolulu where he first met Cheryl Seibert, a young woman from southern Minnesota in the mid-sixties. Frank sought better economic opportunities in the Marshall Islands in 1967. Life on Kwajalein, a tiny island slightly north of the equator and near the international date line was reminiscent of an earlier way of small town life in Hawai’i paired with a tight community of people dedicated to developing the American missile program.

On May 21, 1970, Frank and Cheryl married in her hometown of Madelia, Minn., and then moved to begin married life together on Kwajalein and started a family with five children (Nakana’ela, U’iLani, Pomaika’i, ‘Auli’i and Nae’ole.) Frank spent 17 years on Kwajalein and developed lifelong relationships with his fellow Kwajers.

Frank worked for Zachry for more than 40 years and moved to San Antonio to work at the construction company’s headquarters. Frank was regularly dispatched to Zachry’s different projects across the United States and later returned to Kwajalein in the late 1990s.

Toward the end of his career with Zachry, he and Cheryl moved to Nicaragua to work on the rebuilding of the American embassy in Managua. After his retirement from Zachry, Frank helped start an alumni group for the company called the ROMEOs (Retired Old Men Eating Out). Frank enjoyed creating a group that kept him connected with treasured colleagues.

Besides his devotion to his ‘ohana and his employer, Frank was a devout Catholic. He and Cheryl were embraced by the faith community at Holy Spirit Catholic Church in San Antonio. He was also a long-time season ticket holder for the San Antonio Spurs.

Frank was proud that all five of his children were college graduates. Frank and Cheryl would regularly visit their grandchildren, but most of all loved hosting their family and friends at their vacation cottage next to Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park.

Frank is survived by his wife of 53 years, Cheryl; children Nakana’ela Nathaniel of Waimea, Hawai’i (Meredith Artley), U’iLani Womble of Frisco, Texas (Richard), Pomaika’i Spencer of Huntington Beach, California (William), ‘Auli’i Nathaniel of Volcano, Hawai’i (Brad Greenlee), and Nae’ole Nathaniel of Ann Arbor, Michigan (Barrett); and grandchildren Skyler, Cali, Makoa, Kai, Penelope, Noelani, Holoakea and Amelia. He is preceded in death by his parents Harry and Katherine; his brothers and sisters Harry, Violet, Richard and Bernadette; and nephews Noah Johnson and Kekoa Nathaniel.

Memorial services will be held at Holy Spirit Catholic Church in San Antonio, Texas, on Thursday, Jan. 4, 2023, at 10 a.m. with the praying of the Rosary at 9:30 a.m. He will be interred with his ‘ohana in Hilo, Hawai’i.

In lieu of flowers, Frank’s ‘ohana suggests contributions be made to his favorite charitable organizations: the food banks in San Antonio and Hawai’i, Meals of Wheels and Habitat For Humanity.