Jerome "Jerry" Frankel

Jerome "Jerry" Frankel, aged 97 died peacefully at home in Phoenix, AZ, on April 17, 2024.

Born in Canton, Ohio, on January 29, 1927 Jerry had a full and varied life. He grew up in what he described as a Trotskyite household run by his grandmother who raised chickens, tended a large vegetable garden and grape arbor and made her own noodles. Eleanor Roosevelt once drove up to the family home to visit her. His Aunt Lilly was honored for her work for the Jewish community which included helping children displaced during WWII. (Sadly, Jerry's mother, Blanche died when he was a young boy. Perhaps this was one reason he acted out and was kicked out of high school so many times. And yet he ended up as a college professor!) His father, Julius did not live with the family but another aunt and her family did and so filled out the rest of the household. Jerry worked for Julius tending bar and helping to run Julius' restaurants on and off for several years.

Jerry often said he escaped working for Julius by enlisting in WWII where he was served as a medic and later in the Korean War where he was awarded a Purple Heart. Escape plans also included attending the University of Miami Art Department where he eventually taught art classes. He loved to recount tales of taking students to Europe in the 1950's and 60's. He had a variety of odd jobs including manager at Howard Johnson's restaurants where he liberally sampled the ice cream. He somehow wrangled a job teaching a physical fitness class to Eastern Airlines stewardesses. He also worked for an animation studio and ran an art gallery in Coconut Grove, FL. He made dear friends in Miami who he kept all his life.

From there Jerry moved his family to Austria and then to Spain where he taught art classes for the U.S. Air Force. Again, more stories and adventures abounded: delicious tapas, horseback riding, going on pilgrimage to Rocio, friendship with a bullfighter, priest and other characters. He delighted in living in Seville. Quite a departure for a nice Jewish boy from Ohio who considered himself a cultural rather than religious Jew. He lost relatives in the Holocaust and was always worried that horrors of that time could be repeated.

He ended up back in the States, on food stamps for a while in New Mexico, as he waited for a teaching job that never materialized. Eventually he taught again at New Jersey and New York community colleges. He was an amazingly inventive teacher - inspiring many students there who also stayed in touch with him all his life. He met his future wife, Kathy in one of those classes around 1978.

The next adventure started in 1994 when Jerry and Kathy moved to San Miguel de Allende in Mexico after a visit to Jerry's first wife, Sue Brown Baker in Mexico City. They lived for 14 very social and creative years in SMA. Health issues propelled them back to the States in 2008 to Arizona to live near Jerry's son, Guy (Gaetano) a well-known flamenco and jazz guitarist and singer in the Phoenix / Sedona areas. His son, Jeff is an architect on the East Coast. Jerry was very proud of them both and loved them dearly.

Jerry took great pleasure in the many cats he had over the years and was especially attached to his two chihuahuas: Bella and Sweetie. He also loved to cook: soups, stews, meatloaf and all sorts of comfort foods were his specialties. His Aunt Lilly taught him to be an inveterate coupon clipper who scanned newspaper ads before any trips to the grocery store. He also became quite an internet surfer. He was probably one of the oldest Facebooks users whose cactus emojis were infamous among his online friends. He had a great sense of humor - very barbed at times especially when it came to politics.

As he grew older Jerry missed driving his little Mazda Miata and being able to build and repair things. But he still thrilled to the sight of a hummingbird or a fuschia pink flower or a friend's art work. He enjoyed watching how people carried themselves when they walked and what their dogs looked like. A great observer, he often noticed details that others missed.

Jerry is survived by his wife, sons, their wives, Giovannella and Erika; grandchildren Clay, Oceana, Donna, Cristina, Blu, Allegra and Aaron as well as great-grandchildren Rio, Atticus and Amelia. He adored them all.

A "Celebration of Jerry" ceremony will be held on Saturday, September 21, 2024 at Canyon Mesa Country Club in Sedona, AZ from 4 - 6 pm.