Ernest Maurice "Doc" Frank Jr.

1945 - 2025

Ernest Maurice "Doc" Frank, Jr.

February 1, 1945 - October 29, 2025

Ernest Maurice "Doc" Frank, Jr. of Williamsburg, Va., passed away on October 29, 2025.

Doc was born on February 1, 1945, in Richmond, Va., to Nannie Smoot Frank and Ernest Maurice Frank of Williamsburg, Va. Doc was raised in Colonial Williamsburg, where his passion for history was cultivated. He attended high school as a boarder at the Saint Christopher's School in Richmond and graduated in 1964. While a Saint, Doc distinguished himself in athletics as captain for both the varsity football and varsity wrestling teams. Doc went on to graduate in 1968 from Hampden-Sydney College with a bachelor of arts in history and began his professional life as an educator and later as a computer systems engineer for the State of Virginia. It was as a teacher that Doc met his wife, Martha Francis McEwen, of Matoaca, Va. They married in Williamsburg, February 1969, then settled in Richmond, where they raised their three children, Katherine, Latané, and Knox. Doc enjoyed watching his children participate in every sport and rarely missed a game. In 1999, Doc and Martha relocated to Tappahannock, Va., his lifelong dream. In Essex County, Doc became involved in Saint John's Church and the Rotary Club. During his retirement Doc enjoyed being outside, hunting with friends, and living on the Rappahannock River, where he spent most days caring for his beautiful yard and sitting in his wife's garden. He returned to Williamsburg for the last year and half of his life. Doc is preceded in death by his wife, Martha, and his son, John Knox McEwen Frank. He is survived by his children, William Latané Lewis Frank of Lander, Wyo., and Katherine Knox O'Keeffe of Boston, Mass.; and his grandchildren, Annie, Fiona, Ben, Liam, Oliver, and Mawson.

Please join family and friends for a service celebrating Doc's life at St. John's Church, a place near and dear to his heart, located at 216 Duke Street, Tappahannock, Va., on Friday afternoon, the 5th of December, at 1 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to support the meaningful work of Survivors of Outdoor Adventures and Recovery in Colorado, https://www.soar4life.org, Saint Christopher's School, https://www.stchristophers.com, or St. John's Church, https://stjohnstappahannock.org.