Frank Caplan

Frank (Bill) Caplan

October 13, 2025

State College, Pennsylvania - Frank (Bill) Caplan, 102 years old, died on October 13, 2025 at Juniper Village - Brookline, in State College, Pennsylvania. Frank was born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1923 and grew up in Albany, New York. He was the son of Morris and Celia Caplan, who immigrated to the U.S. from Russia in the early 1900s.

Morris Caplan was a high school teacher, allowing Frank to enjoy his summers camping, swimming and hiking on the islands of Lake George, New York. This love of Lake George continued throughout his life where he, along with family, bought property on the lake where they spent summers enjoying the beauty.

In addition to his parents, Frank was predeceased by his daughter, Susan Caplan, in 1964. He was also predeceased by his sister, Judith Drosness. Frank married Marguery Pilatsky in 1949 and were happily married for 69 years, before Marguery died on June 13, 2018. Frank is survived by two sons, James Caplan (and his wife, Grace Caplan) of Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and William Caplan (and his wife Rebecca) of State College, Pennsylvania. In addition, Frank is survived by 4 grandchildren, Benjamin Caplan, Jennifer Còrdova, Christopher Caplan, and Katherine Foresman; and eight great-grandchildren, Lucas and Jocelyn Foresman, Olivia and Sydney Còrdova, Anne and Rose Caplan, and William and Matthew Caplan.

Frank attended Syracuse University from 1940 to 1944 (interrupted by World War II), majoring in Chemical Engineering. During WWII, the U.S. Government sent Frank to NYU for an engineering degree in Meteorology. Frank served as an Air Force weatherman in WWII, stationed in mainland China. He was very proud of flying around the world in the military aircraft, fondly talking about flying over the Himalayas ("The Hump") into China. After WWII Frank returned to Syracuse University, in 1946, for graduate studies in Organic Chemistry.

After getting married and having a newborn, Frank was called back to military duty during the Korean War, stationed in Chicago, as a weatherman. This was before weather radar, where they used weather balloons and pilot feedback for predicting the weather. Frank obtained the rank of First Lieutenant, U.S. Army/Air Force, later serving in the reserves and National Guard.

After WWII, Frank worked at the U.S. FDA as a food inspector while living in Illinois. He later worked at Firestone in Pennsylvania as a chemist and a salesman. He spent the second half of his career living in Michigan, New Jersey and Delaware while working in the chemical industry and as Plant Manager and Business Manager, in the plastics industry, retiring from Formosa Plastics in 1985 at the age of 62. He and Marguery then moved to Hobe Sound, Florida, for 32 years. Frank has been a resident of Juniper Village since moving to State College in 2017.

In Florida, his favorite activity was golf, playing 2 to 3 times per week. He played until he was 90 years old. He achieved 2 hole in one trophies, that he proudly displayed. A memorial service and burial will be at Saratoga National Cemetery in Schuylerville, New York, at the convenience of his family.

Online remembrances may be shared at www.kochfuneralhome.com.