Frank Lake

1919 - 2018

LAKE, Frank Peter Francis, (Frank), Lake passed away peacefully on July 9th, in Austin, Texas, a few weeks shy of his 99th birthday. The second of four children, Frank was born on August 23, 1919 to Peter Gauss Lake and Frances May Lake in El Dorado, Arkansas, where he spent his early youth. He attended high school at Culver Military Academy, and graduated from the University of Virginia in 1942. In the same year, he married Emily Ware, also from El Dorado, and was commissioned a second lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corp. Frank served with the 2nd Marine division, 6th Regiment, between August of 1942 and December of 1945, and was stationed in the Pacific, where he participated in amphibious landings at Tarawa, Saipan, and Tinian. He received the bronze star for assuming leadership of "C" company when its commander was killed in action. After the war, he and Emily moved to Austin, where he entered UT law school, and the two began their family. Soon after graduating from law school, Frank served as Texas Assistant Attorney General, and in 1961, was appointed Texas Secretary of State by Governor Price Daniel. In 1963, he became Chief Counsel to the Texas State Board of Insurance, before entering private practice in 1970. For almost sixty years, Frank could be found having lunch at the long table in the bar at The Headliners Club. When no longer able to drive, he was often accompanied by his loyal friend Alton Greeven. It was there that he swapped stories about politics past and present, and of course - the weather! Frank was an avid outdoorsman and spent many weekends on the family ranch in Lampasas. He loved fishing, and canoed all the Texas rivers flowing to the gulf, from the Devil's River to the Colorado but his favorite spot was the San Gabriel River. Perhaps his happiest times were spent in the wilderness west of Creede, Colorado; hunting, trail-riding on the Continental Divide, and fly-fishing in the headwaters of the Rio Grande. It was easy to bivouac in the Rockies because he knew that he was always welcome at Sibyl and Pat Noack's cabin. Frank lost his three siblings to cancer, and became an Excaliber member of the American Cancer Society, and traveled across the U.S. visiting cancer hospitals and clinics. He was a supporter of KUT and KMFA radio stations, Texas Nature Conservancy, Environmental Defense Fund, the Lampasas Youth Livestock Association, and the Lampasas Volunteer Fire Department. Frank was preceded in death by his former wife, Emily Lake, his son, Kirby Scott Lake, brothers Robert Lake and William Lake, and sister, Nancy Lake. He is survived by his son Randall Lake and wife Lori, son David Lake and wife Ellen, daughter Lucinda Lake Gerhart, and grandchildren Jason Carr Lake, Andrew Peyton Lake, Emily Frances Gerhart, and Katherine Ann Hicks. The family would like to thank the kind staff at Westminster, Halcyon Home and Halcyon Hospice. The family will hold a reception for family and friends on Friday, July 20th, at 2:00 at Tarry House, 3006 Bowman Avenue. A private burial will follow. For those wishing to make a memorial contribution, please direct to Environmental Defense Texas 301 Congress Avenue #1300 Austin, Texas 78701, The Admiral Nimitz Foundation 328 East Main Street Fredericksburg, Texas 78624, or the chari ty of one's choice. Obituary and online guest registry are available at www.wcfish.com.