Frank Gillespie

Longtime Alaska resident Frank Howard Gillespie died April 15, 2011, in Juneau of a heart attack at the age of 65.

Frank was born May 6, 1945, to John D. and Velma ( Mauk) Gillespie in Fort Benning, Ga. Frank's father was in the U.S. Army and his service took the family throughout the U.S. and Germany.

As a young boy, Frank moved to Nome, where he went to school and his love for Alaska and her riches was developed. Frank was an avid hunter and fisherman and his skill as a waterfowl hunter was well known in the Nome area, honed while hunting with his Native friends during the annual spring hunt. Years later, his friends in Nome swore that the Native hunters would supply young Frank with shells because his shooting was much better than theirs.

In 1965, Frank joined the U.S. Army and served in Vietnam. Frank volunteered for an extended tour and was honorably discharged. He was awarded the Vietnam Campaign Medal, the Air Medal with 22 Oak Leaf Clusters and the Army Commendation Medal with Valor Device. After his discharge, Frank joined the Alaska National Guard, where he spent 15 years at the Command Support Maintenance Shop as a small arms technician.

Frank loved Alaska and the outdoors and was most at home whether he was on the back deck of a boat trolling for king salmon or sitting at the base of a tree monitoring a nearby bald eagle nest. Frank always fished in the Golden North Salmon Derby and he or his fishing partners usually placed in the top 10 fishing Frank's "secret drag." In 2010, Frank took third place and helped his partners take 35th and 63rd.

Frank had a wonderful sense of humor and had the ability to make people around him laugh and feel good. He loved jokes and no one enjoyed them more than Frank himself. Frank liked tulips in the garden and Frank liked tulips in the park but mostly Frank liked two lips in the dark.

Frank is survived by his brother and sister of Washington state and an extended family of friends and associates spanning the globe.

A celebration of life, potluck and beach party will be held at the home of Randy Walling, 16555 Lena Loop Road, Juneau, on Frank's birthday, May 6, at 4 p.m. Horseshoes will be played by Randy Land Rules. Randy can be reached at 907-790-3058. All are welcome.