Frank Doughty Rawlinson

1949 - 2022

Frank Doughty Rawlinson of New Canaan, CT passed away on Friday, Jan. 7, 2022. Frank was born on Nov. 13, 1949 in Cambridge, MA to Dr. John Lang Rawlinson and Jane (Doughty) Rawlinson. He was born into a family of scholars, writers and thinkers. His father John was Professor Emeritus of History at Hofstra University. At the age of 12, Frank enrolled in Rumsey Hall in Washington, CT and began spending all his non-school time at the West Hartford home of his Aunt Jean (Rawlinson), Uncle Ivor Hugh, and his first cousins Grayson, David, and Robert Hugh, who considered Frank the fourth Hugh brother. Extended family gatherings became the stuff of legend, filled with laughter and plays that were written, performed, and recorded by the cousins for the adults. With so many musicians in the family, epic jam sessions were inevitable, with Frank doing his part on the guitar. Every Christmas, Frank created beautiful miniature houses out of carefully-chosen pieces of driftwood. These pieces showcased his keen artistic eye and honed the skills he would need for a fruitful career in architecture. Each summer Frank attended his beloved Camp Jewell, a YMCA Camp in Colebrook, CT, where he excelled in swimming, archery, running, and hiking. Decades later, he happily came full circle when he was chosen to design a state-of-the-art wellness center, new cabins, and a glamping platform for the camp. After attending high school at Mount Hermon in Gill, MA, Frank became Director of Construction for the first ever Children's Place in West Hartford, CT in 1970. During the six years he worked there, he took an educational, inspirational vacation through Morocco, Algeria, Turkey, Iran, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and India. He spontaneously ended the trip, caught a flight back to the USA, and hitchhiked to his home with the Hughs, arriving unannounced, in typical dramatic Frank fashion, on Christmas morning. The global explorer was cold, tired, and hungry. Later, he would fondly recall "Aunt Jean's meatloaf" as the cure that returned him to "a fine fettle." The same taste for adventure that had him backpacking across Asia also inspired him to go skydiving, hike the Appalachian Trail, and acquire his scuba diving license, which he put to good use. In the 1970s, Frank pursued his passion and studied architecture at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, NY. He then relocated to Washington, D.C., where he was hired as head of production design and set construction for a local children's theatre group. While living in D.C. he met Michele Archambault. On September 14, 1992, the two married in Giverny, France and settled in Chicago. Frank graduated with honors in 1996 from Illinois Institute of Technology College of Architecture, completing the Master's degree he had begun at Pratt. That same year, their daughter Morgan was born. Morgan will always remember her many travels with her father, including eating hot dogs at Coney Island, scuba diving in Honduras, visiting Harry Potter world in Orlando, and road-tripping on Route 66. Frank enjoyed success as an architect. He worked on a variety of projects ranging from a lake house in Wisconsin to restaurant renovations for Blackie's House of Beef in D.C. He designed for the architectural firm Holabird & Root and worked on the 1994 rebuilding of Chicago's Navy Pier. Frank eventually settled back in CT, spending many wonderful years surrounded by his dearest family and friends. He found lifesaving fellowship with his Westport home group for friends of Bill W. Each Christmas season, he delighted in the traditional family Boxing Day get-together which usually included upwards of 30 cousins. Frank leaves behind his partner Betsy Jesup of New Canaan, CT and his daughter Morgan Joyner of Chicago, IL. He is also survived by former wife Michele Archambault; cousins Karen, Richard, Doug, Ron, Grayson, Polly, David, Robin, Robert, Lola, Helen Ann, and Nancy; and step-aunt Beth Hugh. Frank was preceded in death by his father John and mother Jane; his Aunt Ruth and Uncle Carl Bergengren; his Aunt Jean and Uncle Ivor; and his cousin Charlie. A memorial service is planned for the spring. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, Camp Jewell, or Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.