Frank Plimpton

Frank S. Plimpton
1954 - 2025

Frank Sawtell Plimpton passed away peacefully on April 13, 2025, in Naples, Florida. His death was unexpected and deeply felt by those who knew and loved him. He was 71 years young.

Frank was born on February 4, 1954, and grew up in Sherborn, Massachusetts as the third child of John and Katharine Plimpton, and a loving brother to Sam, Jane (Trusty) and Jack. A gifted student with a lifelong curiosity for learning, he was a graduate of the Charles River School, Milton Academy, and Harvard University (where he graduated with honors in Applied Mathematics and Economics, and was a member of the Spee Club), and later earned both his MBA and JD from the University of Chicago. Frank went on to work as a litigation and bankruptcy lawyer at Milbank Tweed, as an investment banker at Paine Webber and at Salomon Brothers, and as a partner at private equity firm MatlinPatterson, building a reputation for his intelligence and integrity.

He served on a number of corporate boards including RailWorks, NRG, National Holdings Corp, and XLHealth, and was a former board member of The Round Hill Association in Greenwich, CT. He was a member of Shenorock Shore Club, Bears Paw Country Club, the Mountainy Pond Club, and was previously a member of both Siwanoy Country Club and the Mill Reef Club.

While his professional achievements were many, Frank was most proud of the life he built with his family. He is survived by his beloved wife of nearly 49 years, Kathy (Riley) Plimpton, and their three children: daughter Molly and her husband Montez Haywood; son Andy and his wife Emma; and son CJ and his wife Deniz. "Gampy" was a devoted and loving grandfather to six grandchildren, who brought him immense joy. His face would light up in their presence-his greatest happiness came from making them smile and laugh.

Ever since he was a boy, Frank spent each summer in Maine and it remained his most cherished place. He created Lookout Farm in Muscongus Bay, as a place where he could fully embrace his love of farm and coastal life - operating heavy equipment, building a complicated beach house with his own hands, tending his gardens and fields, and documenting natural beauty with his camera. He was especially captivated by the landscape in his own backyard, capturing its intricate beauty and peaceful moments - as a passionate photographer, he loved sharing his nature photos with his grandchildren, always encouraging their curiosity and wonder.

Frank enjoyed an unusually wide array of hobbies and interests that made him endlessly fascinating to those around him - in his youth, he flew hang gliders; he lived and loved to ski; he cultivated berries, picked them all by hand, and made hundreds of jars of homemade jelly to give to friends and family; he was a long-distance cyclist, who won a 100-mile cycling race in his classification in February; but mostly he delighted in feeding and watching the many native birds, and particularly his hummingbirds, from his kitchen in Maine. His sense of wonder, playfulness, and desire to try new things never faded.

Frank's life was marked by quiet strength, deep compassion, and a joyful appreciation for both the big and small moments. He was endlessly generous with his time and love, a steady presence in the lives of his family and friends, and someone whose legacy will be felt for generations.

Frank is also survived by his beloved sisters-in-law, Mary Riley, Wendy Shattuck and Michiko Sakai, his brother-in-law Michael Trusty, and numerous nephews, nieces and cousins and all their children. We were all blessed by his example, his humor, and by his sense of kindness and happiness.

We will miss him. Goodbye, sweet Gampy.

A service will be held at 10am on June 12, 2025 at St. Barnabas Church, 954 Lake Ave., Greenwich CT.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made in Frank's memory to the Maine Coast Heritage Trust.