Frank A. Okey

Tennis champion Frank A. Okey of Pittsford, NY died peacefully at home on December 23rd, 2023, surrounded by family, one week after his 104th birthday.
Frank was born on December 16th, 1919, as Franciszek Krzysztof Okolowicz to parents Leontyna "Lillian" Okolowicz (nee Socha) and Dominik Joseph "Okolow" Okolowicz. He grew up in the home his parents built themselves on Weaver Street in Rochester's Polish immigrant community called Polish Town. Frank was a proud Graduate of Aquinas Institute (Class of 1938) and he also attended the University of Rochester (Class of 1942) where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree and enjoyed playing on the varsity tennis and basketball teams. After college, he served in the US Army Transportation Corps during and after WWII, followed by the US Army Reserve, attaining the rank of Captain. This led to a 35-year career with International Harvester.
Frank's true passion was tennis - he was a Rochester tennis legend competing for over 70 years and winning an estimated 200+ titles. These included 85 tournament wins in the Rochester District Tennis Championships (singles and doubles), two Canadian National Senior Singles wins, wins in various other U.S. regional and international tournaments, and play in the U.S. (Open) National Championship. He had national USTA rankings as high as 5th in senior singles divisions. A few fateful matchups with some of his tennis heroes such as Wimbledon champions Bobby Riggs and Gardner Maloy gave him great pride. See Wikipedia: Frank Okey.
A 'lifetime' member of the Tennis Club of Rochester (his "happy place"), Frank enjoyed camaraderie and serving on the board and as a revered champion and elder. He was also a long-time member of the University Club of Rochester where he won the squash championship for about 30 consecutive years, served on the board, and enjoyed regular fraternal lunches.
Frank is survived by his loving wife, Joan Okey (nee McNulty); sons, Chris and Tom; grandchildren, Phoebe and Theo; 13 nieces and nephews; 22 grand nieces and nephews; and more than 17 great-grandnieces and nephews. He is predeceased by his four siblings and their partners, Leon and Estelle (Skuza) Okolowicz, Raymond and Helen (Schreiner) Okey, Bernice (Okolowicz) and Henry Zlotnik, Mildred (Okolowicz) and William Heindl. Also his beloved niece and nephew, Elizabeth Voigt (Okey) and Daniel Heindl.
Family, friends, and acquaintances are invited to Frank's Mass of Christian Burial on January 3rd at 10am at the Church of the Transfiguration, 50 W Bloomfield Road, Pittsford.