Frank Donald
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(SEP 2009): Three classmates, Prater, Secord, and Nordlie, all visited Frank Donald in his nursing facility. He recognized all three, but they report he is in very bad shape. It was a very depressing experience for the visitors, but they are sure it gave him some cheer. Dick reported all this to his daughter, Lynda who visits him frequently as does his wife who is in the same facility. Dick Hoeferkamp (SEP 2009) visit: My wife Ellie and I visited with Frank today in Pensacola. When we arrived he was in bed and asleep, but awoke and was alert when I spoke to him. We had not known each other at the academy, but spoke of our time there. He recalled that he was company commander of I-2 and sang in the chapel choir. We also discovered that we were both in Vietnam 1966-67, though he was in the air and I was on the ground.**** He said that the Catholic priest visits and communes him, and I spoke a prayer for him and his family before we left. We spoke of his family, and he goes in his wheel chair to visit his wife Mary Joe when he can. We also dropped by to visit in her room briefly. ****Frank sends his greetings to you and the class. When I left, I said "Beat Navy!" We hope to visit with him once a month. Jack Campbell update (AUG 2009): After conversations with Frank's first wife, Betty Diffly and his daughter, Lynda Jones I can give you the following up-date on Frank Donald. Frank is currently living in a nursing home in Pensacola with his wife, Mary Joe. They are both in poor health and we are adding Frank to the Class Prayer List at the request of his daughter, Lynda. Lynda sees Frank weekly and will keep us informed as to his health. Frank will be added to the Business net, using Lynda's email address and she will take messages to him on her weekly visits. She reports that Frank had to have one leg amputated a while back as a result of circulation problems. He spends his time either in bed or in a wheel chair, but his attitude is good and he is popular with the nursing staff. Jack Campbell report (2009): When Paula and I were at West Point in the 60's, Frank and Betty were there and lived near us. They had two daughters and we think a baby boy (maybe girl). The next time we saw Betty was at the Florida Mini in (APR 2003). She and Frank had divorced and she had remarried. Her new husband later died, but she went by his last name (Betty Donald Diffly). Frank's wife that was killed in an automobile accident would have been a third wife, after Betty and before Mary Joe. Bill Haas report (2009): When Frank was stationed at Langley, his wife (who was pregnant) was killed in an automobile accident. He subsequently met Mary Joe, who worked at Langley, and married her. In the later years after retirement (Lt. Col: 1985) when we got to know them, they lived in Montgomery. My guess is that Montgomery was his last duty station. Laura and Mary Joe had a lot in common as both had mastectomies at about the same time, and both were on the same chemo drug. With Frank in failing health and Mary Joe of course in danger of cancer returning, they made the decision to move to Florida (c2001) to be near Frank's sister. We do not recall her name. Laura does not believe that they had any children, but she is not positive. Not long after they moved to Florida. |
I - 2
1st Row: Skip Macdonald, Harvill, Wray, Roades, Wallis, Meetze, Sims
2nd Row: Tom McCarthy, Bill Brown, Wells, Roth
3rd Row: Vanden Bosch, Schow, John T. Hamilton, Jeter, Walt Campbell
4th Row: Gray, Fralen, Donald (CO), Fiscus
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Front row, Col. Fraser, Dulk, Bossert, Smetana, Straus
Fikaris, Gilpatrick, Cathey, Jacobs, Maj. McCanna
2nd row, Donald, Raymond, Garn, Bates, Dorward, Eddins, Wix
3rd Row, Fetko, Lovell, Ginter, Karam, Geran, Hergenroder, Ludwig, Rock, Rich Miller
(1954 Firstie Trip)
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I-2 1953) Football Team
3rd Row: ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?
2nd Row: ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?
1st Row: ?, Donald 55, Meetze 55, DeSimone 54, Dilts x55, ?, Macdonald 55)
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West Point 1955 Home Page
1955 Personal Web Pages