FRANK B. PHILLIPS

Frank B. Phillips Devoted husband, loyal brother, gentle father and true friend, Frank Phillips left this life to join his beloved wife Anne on May 31, 2011 at the age of 89. Born the fourth of 10 children to Mildred and Alroy Phillips, Frank grew up in St. Louis, Missouri. When WWII called, Frank enlisted in the Navy, serving in the Pacific as a Corsair pilot off the USS Bennington. During his military training in the Bay Area, Frank and a buddy decided one night to avoid the "husband hunting" ladies in their usual USO haunt across the bay, and drop in instead to the USO Club in the Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco. It was there that a smile from Anne, the singer of the band, delivered a fateful blow to Frank's life as a single. After an exhausting 6-week courtship of dancing into the wee hours every night and reporting for flight training at dawn, Frank shipped out, determined to remind Anne of his existence through letters and propose to her as soon as the war was over. Soon after the war, Frank and Anne were married. As their family started to grow, Frank signed up for the Reserves to bring in some extra money. As it turned out, it wasn't such easy money. Frank was called back into active duty in Korea. One of the things Frank was proudest of was his advertising business, Gold Star Advertising, which he started in 1974 after working many years for other companies in the advertising industry. Frank used his considerable creative skills to craft ads that brought local businesses and customers together. Nothing made him happier than to see a local business succeed. Frank was active in the Novato Rotary, the Chamber of Commerce and S.I.R.S. Frank loved to make cookies for his grandchildren and share dinners and good times with his family. Frank could always be counted on for his wisdom and ability to get to the heart of the matter. He was a great role model. Frank is survived by sisters Edith (Joe), Susan (Bill, deceased), and Nancy (Tom); brothers Brad (Kathleen), Tom (Sharon), and Dave (Susan); children Kathy Rael, Tom and Bob (Mahsan); grandchildren Ryan, Shawn, Adriana and Lara; many nieces and nephews; and friends too numerous to count. A memorial service is planned for Sat., June 18 at 4:00 PM at the Novato United Methodist Church. The family is very grateful for the help and support of Kaiser Permanente and Hospice by the Bay during Frank's last days.