Frank Yankovic

FRANK YANKOVIC Frank Yankovic of Orlando died peacefully in his sleep at his nursing home in Orlando on Thanksgiving evening, November 27th. Mr. Yankovic had been a resident of central Florida for eight years when he came from California to live with his nephew, Robert Dorian and his wife Linda. His nephew cared for him directly and managed his care for the final eight years of his life. Frank Yankovic was the son of Mary Brau and Matthew Yankovic and was born Francis Joseph Yankovic in Kansas City, Kansas, on January 26, 1915. He had four siblings: brothers Eddie and Nick and sisters Mary and Annie. None of his siblings survive him, but he does leave nieces and nephews, including Don Gergich of Orlando, Al Yankovic of Hollywood, California; Delores Lysaught of Rochester, New York; Mary Ann Zagar of Rio Rancho, New Mexico; Carolyn Grantham Spencer, Jan Sevedge, Tony Yankovic, and Jim Yankovic of Kansas City. Frank attended parochial school in Kansas City. He enlisted in the Navy in World War II and served for the duration of the war as an airplane mechanic in the Pacific Islands. He married Loretta Lipovitz on June 3, 1938. They were married 61 years and lived in Kansas City and then southern California where Frank worked as a maintenance engineer for Jorgensen Steel for many years. When he retired he and his wife moved to Hemet, California, from the Los Angeles area. His wife died in 1999. In the years that they lived in Kansas City, Frank and his wife Loretta lived next door to the parents of Bob Dorian, whose mother was Loretta's sister. Bob remembers him fondly as a "second dad" who taught him how to play football and baseball and was a constant good natured prankster. In his final years Frank continued to stay active by playing checkers, bingo, dominoes, and other games with residents of his assisted care facility. Services for Mr. Yankovic will be held on Wednesday January 7th, 2009 at 10am, Our Lady of the Valley Catholic Church in Hemet. A graveside committal service will follow at Riverside National Cemetery where Frank will be laid to rest with his wife wit honors.