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Frank Nicholas Werber

Frank Werber Obituary

Frank Nicholas Werber Born Cologne, Germany, March 27, 1929 Died Silver City, NM, May 19, 2007 Survived by his children, Chala, Bodhi, Aari, Mishka and Daniel; his grandchildren, Anahi and Mylena; and the children's mothers, Diane and Cathrine; as well as a myriad of other loves and friends who's world has become more empty with his passing. His life full to overflowing, Frank was among other things: a Holocaust survivor, refugee, Navy sharpshooter, student of architecture, hobo, beatnik, photographer, music and entertainment entrepreneur, night club owner, race car driver, marijuana advocate, hippy visionary, restaurateur, health food pioneer, single parent, conservationist, newspaper owner and hermetic guru. He passed away at his daughter's home in NM, and per his wishes was laid to rest the next day in a natural burial on his ranch in the Gila Wilderness. Sometimes credited with having started the folk music movement, and possibly best know as the manger/producer of the Kingston Trio, Werber was also the creator of the famous Trident Restaurant, a 1960s and '70s Bay Area hot spot which was long considered one of the top restaurants in the country. While many of the most famous and influential people of the era counted him as a friend, fame and fortune were never a most important measure of esteem to Frank. Tiring of the California "scene" he purchased a remote hot springs ranch in the mountains outside of Silver City, NM, in 1974 and slowly turned his energy inward toward the wilderness and his family. Frank will be greatly missed, but his light burned so brightly that those who truly knew him will always feel the glow. A memorial is being organized for this fall. For info, or to offer a donation please contact [email protected]

To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.

Published by San Francisco Chronicle on May 27, 2007.

Memories and Condolences
for Frank Werber

16 Entries

Michele Hutchinson-Brown

May 22, 2021

One day at the ranch after a horrendous flood had wiped out a section of the road that clung to the rock side Frank was working the JCB to fill in the missing road while our neighbour a 24-year-old girl and myself both of us very slight as we were trying our best to push the heavy rocks in place underneath to help build up the road, in front of us was a tree stump about 3 feet wide and 4 feet long which he commanded us to push into place as part of the rubble to help build the road. We fell about laughing at the thought that Frank believed us even strong enough to move it at all! eventually, it did get moved with the aid of many helpers and is probably still there to this day, holding that road in place and we girls were driven by him. He was an inspiration in so many things.

Jeanne Proteau

April 22, 2021

Frank popped into my head randomly 30 minutes ago...and I thought to myself...whatever happened to him? Googled...and there it all is. We frequented The Trident at least twice a week...children in tow. We all loved the food, particularly the vegetable fried rice...and the scene. He was quite a character and we visited his house several times. May he RIP...and I know he's shaking it up wherever he is!

michele hutchinson-brown

June 25, 2007

Frank,goodbye my lover,guru,teacher,husband. Though I never knew you in your heyday,Only you and I know how good it was in the time we spent together.Saved your life a few times also. Thank you for being who you were and for all the beautiful things we did as a couple.Love Michele

Jerry Burgan

June 6, 2007

I was sorry to hear about Frank’s passing, though thankful that I did get to share some of these thoughts with him prior to his stroke. He was a true mentor to me and I can’t begin to name all the things that I learned from him about the business of making music. Frank followed tested techniques he had learned or developed over the years with the Kingston Trio, to manage the reinvention of some teenaged folksingers into We Five. He had an ability to encourage creativity and the musical process without having to direct it. While encouraging us to write, to sing, and to play, he surrounded us with a team that shaped all of the other elements which lead to our success. We were too young to see it at the time, but I later learned to appreciate the impact he had on my life. He will be missed but never forgotten.

Majken Johansson

June 6, 2007

Frank Werber. A man who would pull up in our driveway in the middle of the night and sleep in the back of his car. I never really knew him, though he was a legend in the eyes of my dad and the constant stories of their adventures together has constantly filled my life. Some of my dad’s best quotes are Frank quotes. By association, I got to hear the same whimsical intelligent lines that I’m sure followed Chala, Bodi and Mishka. But Frank himself was a mystery, though I owe my entire existence to him since my mom and dad met at his place in San Francisco.
My deepest sympathies to the Chala, Bodi and Mishka for having such a strong and influential man leave your lives.
Many hugs to you.

Hans Johansson

June 6, 2007

Well after 40 years I’m going to miss the attitude adjustments that Frank has given me every time I’ve seen him. I have countless memorable experiences with Frank and one of the funniest took place on the coast of Kona in Hawaii. It was Frank, Bodi and I. We were chasing fish, looking for whales and it was a dead calm sea. It must have been 1989-90, somewhere in there. Frank wanted to give the water skis a go and after many tries, it was of course my fault that he couldn’t get up. I was driving the boat wrong for this gracious water skier. But Bodi and I agreed that the only whale we saw that day was Frank in the water. I will truly miss this remarkable man.
My next journey to the States feels like a pilgrimage to the ranch to say my last farewells.
Rest in peace Frank.

MD Lomas

June 5, 2007

Frank Werber had the unique ability to see things in people that
others could not. The night he walked into the Cracked Pot in Redwood City, and signed the
Kingston Trio on a cocktail napkin is just one example. When Frank and the Trio purchased the
Yacht Dock, a jazz club in Sausalito in 1960 (later to be renamed the Trident in 1966) Frank was
the one who had the vision to see what this venue could be. While the Trio was on tour, Frank
crafted a stunningly beautiful interior for the soon to be restaurant right over the water with million dollar
views of San Francisco. Throw in a menu with smoothies, organic selections, spectacular
California Cuisine, an espresso/herb tea/fresh juices bar, and you realize that Frank was years
ahead of everybody else. In the early 70s you had to go into SF for an espresso, and what the hell
was a smoothie anyways? Today this kind of culinary experience has become commonplace throughout California, and Frank led the way.
In the Trident Restaurant Frank captured the essence of the times. In the early sixties the
Trident was a Jazz Club featuring some of the top names of the times. As the Trident evolved
into the mid to late sixties the Trident became the “scene” for the Bay Area. The Summer of
Love was reflected in Frank’s creation. Beautiful women waited on the guest ,while rock and roll
music played beneath a huge psychedelic mural, that still adorns the interior ceiling to this day.
Celebrities frequented the Trident on a regular basis. People traveled from around the world to
experience this amazing venue. The “magic” that was the Trident was that it was fun. Like the
charismatic Kingston Trio, the Trident was about everybody having a good time. And this was
Frank’s recipe for life. Hard work, a good business sense, and a whole lot of fun!

Lauren Ghiselli

May 29, 2007

Knowing Frank was a tremendous fullfillment. I first met Frank through my partner Chuck Fallo,who just recently died himself, and worked for Frank doing much of the woodwork at The Trident. Frank, Diane, Chala, Chuck and I moved together in l974 to the historic Lyons Lodge in New Mexico and converted this enchantment to The Last Resort in the Gila Wilderness. We became a family together. I visited his ranch again some years ago, however, he was not well. I did not have a chance to see him. I know Chuck would have like to re-visit too. I wish all his family well.

Marshal Blumstock

May 28, 2007

"I heard the news today, oh boy; about a lucky man who made the grade". And the news for me was sad.

Frank was a visionary and a risk taker. He remained true to his beliefs, whether popular or not. He had a unique quality of seeing people and bringing out the best in them; sometimes gently, sometimes not so gently. This was certainly true for me. From the time I met Frank in 1969 at the Trident, as a 20 year old kid from New York with lots of rough edges, he saw in me what I could not see myself. For this, I will be forever grateful.

This is a time to remember Frank's courage and goodness.

Mahalo nui loa, my teacher.

With Aloha,
Marshal

RICHARD LIPFIELD

May 28, 2007

FRANK WERBER WAS ONE OF MY GREATEST MENTORS... I WORKDED FOR HIM AT THE TRIDENT FOR ABOUT 10 YEARS... HE HIRED ME WITH NO EXPERIENCE IN THE RESTURANT BUSINESS AND TAUGHT ME HOW TO FOCUS,KEEP MY BALANCE, KEEP BOUNDARIES UNDER SEVERE CURCUSTANCES... FRANK WAS TOUGH,FAIR,UNFAIR KIND,RELENTLESS,SOFT, HARD,AND ALWAYS FOCUSED ON QUALITY OF LIFE...HE STRETCHED ME, I LOVED HIM AND HATED HIM...HE MADE ME FEEL....FOR THAT I AM FOREVER GRATEFULL...

Rick Daly

May 28, 2007

May you rest in eternal peace Frank. I wish my life had been as full as yours. And most of all, thank you for discovering three young musicians/singers back in 1957. They and you helped shape my life. And to this day, I still enjoy the music of The Kingston Trio. If not for you, none of us might have known that enjoyment.

Marleen Roberts

May 28, 2007

If he had only given us the Kingston Trio, it would have been more than we deserved. Thank you, Frank Werber.

David Ruiz

May 28, 2007

I remember Frank as the man who certainly helped make make the music that shaped my life possible.
I look out my window everyday and see the Columbus Tower on Columbus and Kearny and remember Frank, remember the three guys, the Kingston Trio, that inspired my life
tremendously. Rest in Peace Frank.
Your work is done and your legacy will live forever.

Larry Crawford

May 28, 2007

An extraordinary and interesting individual, a gentleman who took three young college lads who knew nothing about show business and molded them into an empire that included hit records, live concerts and public appearances, a line of clothing baring their name, even their own restaurant. I’m glad that I had the opportunity of meeting Mr. Werber on several occasion when he accompanied The Kingston Trio on the road. Hail and farewell, to one of a kind. God Bless, you Frank

Gary Crawford

May 28, 2007

In deed, he was a "living legacy," and always "the leader of the band."

Gary Crawford
Roanoke VA

Lisa Law

May 27, 2007

Frank Werber was a dear friend of mine. We met in Marin in the early Sixties, at the Trident Restaurant which was the hippest restaurant in California. He showcased Jazz musicians like Bill Evens and Jack Sheldon, Jack Marshall and Joe Mondragon, among many others. I introduced him to Brazil '65 and after they played at the Trident they became famous. When Frank decided to change the looks of the Trident, he lined it with raw wood, candles, flowers and a painted eagle on the ceiling. His waitresses wore lace and see though dresses and was for sure, eye candy for all those who ate there. I was about to go to New York to drive a cab when Frank hired me to be his personal assistant. I took care of his Cadillac convertible, his honda bike, his boat and his house. He taught me how to cook and clean (with a white glove) and shop for food. I was going to College of Marin and he gave me my first good camera and I started shooting for his company, Trident Productions. I shot the Kingston Trio, the We Five and Sons of Champlin. From there I went on to shoot many groups and have published a book, Flashing on the Sixties. Without his encouragement, I may never have been a photographer although I had been shooting since I was a child. Frank had a very strong will as he had been through a lot as a child in a concentration camp. He escaped with his father, Eddie, and they worked their way across the country from New York to California where he created the Kingston Trio and made a name for himself. He loved his dad and he loved his family. He will be missed by them, especially Chala, who cared for him patiently for the last three years when Frank couldn't care for himself due to a stroke. He was strong and feisty all the way to the end. A force of nature he was. Frank contribution to the scene will never be forgotten. He was one of a kind.

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