Frank Hood Trane

1931 - 2021

Frank was born in La Crosse Wisconsin in 1931 to Reuben and Helen Trane
with older twin siblings, Jim and Betty. Frank's grandfather had emigrated from Tromso, Norway in 1864, and with Frank's father incorporated the Trane Co. in 1913.Frank graduated Saint Paul's School in Concord, New Hampshire in 1950. He was admitted to Stanford after his Junior year of high school.Frank attended Stanford School of Engineering and graduated Cum Laude in 1953, receiving the honorary engineering distinction of Tau Beta Pi. He attended Stanford Graduate School of Business and was class of 1955. He was a member of Delta Kappa Epsilon Fraternity. Frank finally received a High School diploma from Saint Pauls' in 1985, ending his High School dropout status!Frank and his sweetheart, Allan Jean Farwell, were married in September 1951 while still at Stanford, and last year celebrated their 69th anniversary. Frank and Allan have three children, Marty Chapman (Dave), Cindy Christeson (Jon), and Byron (Frances). They had nine grandchildren, and 10 great-grandchildren. Their granddaughter Amy was killed in a tragic car accident in 2007.Frank was on active duty in the Navy from 1955 through 1958. He served as a Submarine Repair Officer in the Charleston Naval Shipyard. He was responsible for the alteration and repair work done on submarines while in the shipyard and subsequent test dives. He earned the permanent rank of Full Lieutenant and was in the process of attaining the rank of Lieutenant Commander when he finished his service. Frank was a life member of the Naval Submarine League.In 1958, the Tranes moved to La Crosse and Frank worked for the Trane Company as a Manufacturing Engineer. He eventually held the position of General Superintendent of the La Crosse factories and became the U.S. Manager of Branch Plants. In 1966, Frank was awarded the honor of "Kentucky Colonel" by the Kentucky governor for building a factory in Lexington. Frank was on the Board of Directors for 24 years. The Trane Company was sold in 1984 to American Standard.In 1963, the Tranes moved to Newport Beach, California where they continued to raise their family. Their children and grandchildren live in the area and over the years Frank and Allan's home on Newport Bay has been the frequent family gathering place. Frank had the pleasure of being "Bapa" to the grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He kept them all laughing.Frank loved surfing 80 days a year and kept at it until he was 85. He loved skiing and took the family to Snowmass 45 Februarys in a row. He and Allan played golf at Ironwood Country Club in Palm Desert where they had a home. He enjoyed hiking the desert and surrounding mountains and belonged to the Ironwood Hiking Club. Frank and Allan liked cruising on small yachts all over the world, mostly on their boat 'Hallelujah.' They enjoyed summer cruising to Moonstone Cove on Catalina Island. They enjoyed friendships at the Newport Harbor Yacht Club, the Cruising Club of America and the Santa Ana Country Club.In 1965, Frank started a development company called Holiday Shores and fully developed over 5500 lots on the Arizona side of the Colorado River. In the late 1960's Frank was one of the founding trustees of Harbor Day School where 12 members of the family have attended.Frank was an active member of Saint James Anglican Church and served as treasurer and senior warden. Frank studied the first 5 centuries of the Christian Church and loved teaching the Great Reformation of the 16th Century from an Anglican perspective.In 1990, Frank decided to devote his full time to church work. He was one of the founders of the American Anglican Council, which helped form the Anglican Church in North America, consisting now of more than 1000 parishes. Frank was made an Honorary Lay Canon of the Church in 2013.In 2013, without his knowledge, Frank's desert Bible study group created and funded the Frank Trane Cross on the Hill Endowment Scholarship Fund for King's Schools in Palm Desert. Frank enjoyed corresponding with scholarship winners. One can still see the 30-foot lighted aluminum cross designed, built, and erected by Frank in 1996 to replace its damaged wooden predecessor high on a Palm Desert hill. Frank will be remembered for his love of God and family, his generosity, his wisdom, his many athletic abilities, his humor and his limericks. He could fix anything electrical, mechanical and plumbing, be it in the house or on the boat, and his happy humming let us know where he was at all times.Frank always said that his true legacy was his beloved wife Allan of 69 years and family. All 29 members of the four generations of his family live within 10 miles of each other and enjoy spending time together. Their shared Christian faith continues to bond them together.In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to St. James Anglican Church www.stjamesnb.org/give/ (949) 999-3900 and King's Schools https://www.kingsschools.net (760) 324-5464