Frank Grove Dolman

"The gull sees farthest who flies highest." - Richard Bach, John Livingston Seagull
Frank Grove Dolman Frank Grove Dolman passed away at Garnet Health Medical Center, in Middletown, NY on July 21, 2025, after a prolonged struggle with illness, at the age of 82. Frank Dolman was born in San Francisco, California on July 12, 1943 to Samuel Grove Dolman and Wilma Kunst Dolman. He grew up in Marin County, California, where he participated in Little league baseball, Pop Warner football, and the local boy scouts. In 1960, his family moved from San Francisco to Westfield, New Jersey. Frank played football, and excelled at swimming. He broke the school and county backstroke records and was part of the NJ state champion medley relay team. He was accepted at Penn State University and started there in the fall of 1961, where he met Lou Thomas, who would later become the love of his life. Frank and Lou were both proud Penn State alumni who credit their short time there as some of the most significant in all of their lives and life together. Frank cherished his brotherhood in Beta Theta Pi fraternity. He was an active member and then an Alumni Advisor to the chapter. The lifelong friends they met, love of PSU football, and curating epic tailgates were carried with them long after graduation in 1965. Frank and Lou married in 1965 and would have celebrated sixty years of marriage on August 14, 2025. They had two children, Audrey Frost (Montague, New Jersey) and Ken Dolman (Berlin, Germany/Victor, Idaho). Frank is also survived by five grandchildren: Skyler (27), Remy (24), and Berkeley (22) Frost. Ken, with his wife, Heather have Maelyn (22) and Cecilia (19) Dolman. Frank's first job was with US Steel in Morrisville, PA. There Frank joined the Junior Chamber of Commerce and with that organization, made life long friends who called themselves the "Vampires." He transferred often, and lived in Landisville, PA, Belle Mead, NJ, Hudson, OH, and Trumbull, CT. Finally in 1995, Frank and Lou embarked on their "great adventure" and moved to Steamboat Springs, Colorado where they ran several businesses. In Steamboat Springs, a ski town, Frank, Lou, Audrey, Ken, and Heather taught the grandchildren to ski. Frank's biggest lifelong passion was skiing, having visited and skied most of North America's ski areas. He was a member of the National Ski Patrol for over fifty years. He enjoyed being a volunteer guide at Steamboat Springs Resort, and was known for keeping his groups together via his large Swiss cowbell and interesting local lore.
Frank was always active in volunteering, such as with the Big Brothers, recycling, and as a Chamber Ambassador. He was a consummate handyman, and owned many tools and gadgets. Lou and Frank traveled extensively together throughout their lives, having seen 56 out of the top 100 things to see in the world.
A visitation will be held at Applebee-McPhillips Funeral Home 130 Highland Ave, Middletown, NY. on Friday, August 1, 2025 from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM
Donations can be made in Frank's Member ID #138035 to: The National Ski Patrol Charity 133 S. Van Gorden St STE 100 Lakewood, CO 80228 www.NSP.org/donate To plant a beautiful memorial tree in memory of Frank, please visit our Tree Store.