Birth date: Nov 28, 1942 Death date: Nov 4, 2024
FRANK SZELL, AGE 81, PASSED AWAY PEACEFULLY ON MONDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2024. Dear companion for over 50 years of Barbara Bartczak; beloved son of the late Frank Jr. and Irene Szell; dearest nephew of J. Dolly Szell. Frank proudly ser Read Obituary
He was in my life from the time I was born and he was a great man. He was family. He was my uncle. I love you Frankie. And will miss you forever.
When I first met Frank, it was after I came aboard the USS Los Angeles CA135 heavy cruiser in Long Beach California. Having just completed Radarman A school at treasure Island I was assigned to OI division. OI was part of operations and Combat Information Center - CIC - was our main area. Frank came over from OL Division, which was for lookouts. He quickly learned the plotting and radio language and was a pretty fair typist, which served him well when we got into the admirals flag allowance.
Frank was the athlete of the division along with a few others and had the ability to rally the troops if you want to use that phrase and we won the ships bowling contest having competed in several different ports on our Westpac cruises. While we did get beat severely by the Marines in softball, we could at least hold our heads high with the bowling trophy.
After Frank John Dare and I were transferred to the flag cruiser destroyer floatilla 11, We became even closer friends.
We rented an apartment off base with two other guys while in San Diego and we processed many messages both aboardship and on base. That’s when typing became important and we saw some highly sensitive messages.
Frank and I took a few trips in my Austin Healey Sprite. That’s the one with the bugeyes on it and on one of those trips after spending time with my mom and her husband and my dad and his wife Frank was introduced to his first martini.
Not being a drinker, Frank slug that martini down like it was a Pepsi and my dad said you must’ve been thirsty have another and I suggested that Frank not swig that one down so fast.
It was on that trip that we had some problems with my car down by Camarillo and we had to sleep in that little tiny car overnight waiting for a part to come in and then we were on our way again. I’m not sure that Frank’s back ever recovered ha ha!!
The day that Frank turned 21 was the day that he was released from active duty, and I was able to drive him to the airport and buy him his first legal drink before sending him off to Parma, Ohio, which was the last time I saw him for about 30 years.
Because of a corporate training in nearby, Wickcliffe, Ohio I reconnected with Frank realizing that I would be close to his area and he met me at the airport when I got off the plane. This was before people could not go to the gate and greet people when they got off planes.
We had a nice dinner at the 98th bomber squadron and we’re talking about old friends and things that we did in the Navy as if it was the day before and Barbara asked how long it had been since we’ve seen each other and we told her about 30 years And she said you guys are talking as if it was yesterday and to us it was.
That was the start of reconnecting with Frank and from that time on we had several ship reunions and other times when we were able to get together and I’m so glad that I was able to reconnect after all that time.
I am pleased that I was able to host Frank and show him a little hospitality from my perspective when we had the ships reunion in San Diego when he came up and stayed a few days with us. He was even able to go to my daughter’s birthday dinner and meet the rest of the family for which I am eternally grateful.
I shall miss the phone calls with him saying hey sailor, how’s it going?
I will never forget when my wife died in 2013 even though Frank was far away he let me know that I could call him anytime of the day or night if I needed to talk and he made sure that I was OK. I will never forget that.
I consider Frank one of those people that came into my life that made me a better person and a better man, even though I was never the athlete that he was he did get me out on the field, and I participated which I probably wouldn’t have done had it not been for him.
I shall miss my friend and shipmate, but I will never forget him.
As we say in the Masonic Lodge “soft and safe to thee, my brother be thy resting place”.
Fair winds, and following seas. Until we meet again.
I first met this tall guy on the U.S.S. Los Angeles Heavy Cruiser in early 1961. I had just finished Radarman “A” school at Treasure Island. He seemed to know everyone and was joking with them.
He had come over to OI Division (CIC Combat Information Center- Radar) from OL Division- lookouts & Admiral’s Barge.
He quickly learned the plots and other unique parts of being a Radarman.
Being quite the athlete, he enlisted me for bowling, softball and other various sports, even though I was not the best at any of them.
On our various port calls, OI Division won the trophy for the ship.
As we developed our friendship, Frank came with me to meet my dad and mom both divorced and remarried.
I can still recall the evening we had Martinis and Frank, not being a drinker other than Pepsi, slugged that glass down in one big gulp. My dad commented that Frank must have been thirsty.
When we came back from our second Wespac cruise, Frank and I plus two others rented an apartment close to San Diego State College off University Ave. We had both been transferred from ships company to the Admiral’s Flag Allowance and stood our watches in Flag Plot which had the same plots and equipment as in CIC. This was really premium duty on that ship, as all who were assigned were hand selected and were really good at their assignments.
We kind of lost track of each other, mostly because of my moves with my career. There was a seminar in Wickliff, Ohio and I was able to reconnect with Frank then. It had been 30 years but seemed like yesterday.
We attended many ship reunions and I stayed with him a few times when I was there for other business.
I was able to return his hospitality when Frank and Barbara stayed with me after the 2013 reunion in San Diego. It was then that he met the rest of my family at my daughter’s birthday dinner.
Frank has been part of my life that it is hard to believe that I will never hear him on the phone again saying “Hey, Sailor, how you doing??”
I miss my friend and shipmate Frank.
RIP Frank, and condolences to your family and friends.
