Frank Dlubak

1942 - 2017

Frank Dlubak, 75, of Freeport, died Saturday, Nov. 25, 2017. Frank was born in Natrona Heights on Jan. 29, 1942, to the late Charles and Helen Dlubak. At the age of 12, Frank started working with his father designing stained glass windows for churches. By the age of 21, he was already leading large projects, such as crafting and installing 24 windows in St. Nicholas Antiochian Orthodox Church in San Francisco. Frank spent his life as an inventor and entrepreneur who owned multiple patents and companies. He preferred describing himself as a "tinkerer." His business cards simply read "Frank Dlubak, Worker." Frank started the Dlubak Corp. in the 1970s, where he turned his creative talents to developing techniques for bending and strengthening architectural glass. Although Frank had no formal training in engineering or material sciences, he possessed an intuitive understanding of how machines operated and an encyclopedic knowledge of the properties and applications of materials. Frank had a remarkable technical mind. He could fix just about anything, but he also had the aesthetic sensibility of an artist and the imagination of an explorer. He could draw, paint and bake; he loved boating, fishing, flying airplanes and scuba diving; and he told captivating stories. His unique combination of talents guided his illustrious career. It allowed him, time and again, to take on industry-wide problems, imagine groundbreaking solutions that others did not think were possible, and create markets for them where they hardly existed. Frank set the standard for the architectural curved glass industry. He customized curved windows for buildings, but he also invented glass-bending machinery to make unique designs and angles possible. His designs and products are found in some of the most iconic locations, including the Statue of Liberty, the Liberty Bell, the Sears Tower in Chicago, the Getty Museum in Los Angeles, Rockefeller Center, the Prada Store in New York, the Smithsonian space exhibit, Philadelphia's Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, and the cylindrical glass columns at the entrance of Disney stores, among many others. Frank also designed and produced the engraved glass paperweight favors that were handed out to guests at the first President Bush's inaugural ball. Frank also created a special laminate for hurricane and bomb-resistant windows that protected against shrapnel. His windows were installed in airports, military vehicles and American embassies around the world. He was proud of the letters he received from military personnel thanking him for making products that saved their lives. Throughout his career, Frank received numerous awards and recognitions, including Glass Magazine Entrepreneur of the Year, the Pittsburgh Humanitarian Award, the Pennsylvania Small Business Association Innovation Award, and, in 1998, he was inducted into the Glass and Metal Hall of Fame for his contributions to the industry. Frank embodied a spirit of generosity, warmth, optimism and curiosity in everything he did. He had an appreciation for the moment and a special gift for connecting with people of every walk of life and of every age. He would strike up lively conversations with strangers and would invite anyone in for a cup of coffee. It was common for Frank to leave a restaurant knowing more about the family of his waiter or waitress than he did about the food he was served. More than anything else, Frank was a devoted husband, father, grandfather and friend whose contagious enthusiasm and sense of humor made him an uplifting and inspiring presence. Frank is survived by his loving wife of 49 years, Ave Maria (Bazzano) Dlubak; his sister, Delores (Dlubak) Joyce; and his children, Alyssa Dlubak Bodiford (Rick Bodiford), Amy Dlubak Kim (Sunghoon Kim), Alana Dlubak (Andrew Deener) and Damon Dlubak (Rocio Martinez Dlubak). He is also survived by eight grandchildren, Cole Bodiford, Basil Kim, Azalea Deener, Chloe Bodiford, Calabria Kim, Astor Dlubak, Echo Deener and Alella Dlubak, all of whom cherished their time fishing in the pond and taking off-road ATV "mule rides" with their Pap Pap.
At Frank's request, there will be no viewing. A memorial service will be held at a later date. Professional services trusted to THOMAS M. SMITH FUNERAL HOME AND CREMATORY LTD. (Blawnox).
In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to the Melanoma Research Foundation, www.melanoma.org. www.thomasmsmithfh.com.