Frank Fish

Frank Fish

7/14/39 – 2/11/26

Frank Fish passed away on February 11, 2026 at the age of 86, after a long and valiant fight against not one, but 3 types of cancer. He is survived by Barbara Fish, his cherished wife of more than 62 years; his 3 children Andrew, Caroline and David; and 3 grandchildren: Abby Burfitt, Layth Gadoui and Zainah Gadoui.

Frank had a remarkable life. He was born in Preston, England, in 1939, to a working-class family. His father Albert Fish was a master bricklayer. His mother, Charlotte Turnbull Fish, worked for a time at the once-famous Leyland Motors in Lancashire. Frank had 3 brothers: Jack, Jim, and Geoffrey.

Frank met Barbara Woodhead, his future wife, at a school dance when they were in their teens. Was it love at first sight? Maybe...Frank was not one to wax poetic about his love life. In fact, he was quite private. But his children know that he loved Barbara with all his heart for over 60 years... so we do think it was pretty special.

As a skilled soccer player and mathematics whiz, Frank excelled in school, attending Birmingham University to study mathematics. He then went on to do a postgraduate program at Manchester University. That was where he became a lifelong fan of Manchester United Football Club-which he stubbornly supported until the day he died. Frank then won a Fulbright scholarship to study in the master's program at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he coached the soccer team and generally caused mayhem with his fellow grad students. When he returned to England, he married Barbara, who had been working as a teacher in Leeds. She of course was a fan of Liverpool Football Club, having studied in Liverpool-which many of us may feel was a wiser choice than Man U.

Living in North Carolina sparked a desire in Frank to return to the US, where he had more opportunity to move ahead in the emerging field of operations research. That field brought him much success over the years and took him across the globe-to live in 4 different countries and visit countless more.

In 1966 he took a position with Esso in Philadelphia. The young family of 4 journeyed over on the SS France and lived first in Philadelphia, then in Princeton, New Jersey.

In 1969 Frank was offered a position in Italy, working as a consultant to Olivetti. He leapt at the opportunity and moved to Ivrea, Italy, where both Frank and Barbara learned to speak Italian and made lifelong friends. Barbara learned to cook a mean spaghetti carbonara.

Next on the agenda was France: Frank moved the family to Le Vésinet, just outside of Paris. Andrew and Caroline went to the American School of Paris and learned French; David was just a twinkle in Frank's eye.

In 1971 the family moved back to England, to Maidenhead, outside London, where Frank's youngest son David was born in 1972. After a few years the United States called again-and the family moved back to Princeton, where Frank worked for Mathematica, heading up the design team and international sales for their mainframe product, RAMIS II. New Jersey was home to the Fish family for many years, until the snowy slopes of Park City called their name.

Frank, Barbara, Andrew and David moved to Park City, Utah in 1990. Frank was an avid skier, outskiing his children until he was well into his 60s. He was also a beloved coach of several soccer teams, including the Park City High School girls' soccer team-leading them to win the state championships in 2000.

In 2019 Frank and Barbara moved to Summit Vista in Taylorsville, Utah. He was passionate about politics and concerned about climate change-and became a regular contributor of letters that were often published in the Salt Lake Tribune.

Frank had been fending off two forms of blood cancer plus skin cancer for over 10 years. On February 11, 2026, he slipped away peacefully, with his wife and family by his side.

Frank had a razor-sharp wit, an incredible mind for numbers, and the uncanny ability to speak 3 languages with the same exact accent as he spoke English. His life was a testament to hard work, intelligence, and a love of adventure. He inspired and encouraged his children to persevere and strive for whatever they put their minds to. And he remained in love with Barbara until the day he died. Frank will be greatly missed by his wife, his children, and his grandchildren.