Frank McComb

Frank Louis McComb was an all-around guy, whose interests spanned the gamut of guns and cars to art and dance. Known as a smooth dancer and quick humor, Frank was a great entertainer. He was laid-back as well as fun, and his children were glad to have him in their lives. Frank enjoyed life and the family and friends who made it good.

Frank was the third of five children born to Earl and Gertrude (Sage) McComb in Battle Creek, Michigan on June 23, 1922. It was a period in which the United States was recovering from the First World War and enjoying industrial prosperity. Yet the coming economic depression also shaped the character of its citizens, and an impending second world war enlisted the sacrifice of millions who have been called America’s “Greatest Generation.”

Along with his siblings—John, Ethel, Harold and Alice—Frank grew up on Upton Avenue and Grave Street in Battle Creek. Like most families during the Great Depression, the McCombs didn't have much money, but their father supported the family as an electrician and their mother worked for an insurance company in the city’s downtown. Frank attended Battle Creek Schools and graduated from Battle Creek Central High School. As a young man, he cut a striking figure with his dark hair, slim build, sharp clothing and skillful dancing. Frank liked to have a good time, and he made sure others around him enjoyed themselves, as well.

After high school, Frank went to work at Eatons, followed by a few other places, before hiring on at Michigan Bell. It was while Frank was working at Michigan Bell that he decided to follow in his father’s footsteps by going to electricians’ school in Dayton, Ohio, along with his friend Jack Tyson. Over the years, Frank and Jack formed a strong and lasting friendship, enjoying the occasional visit to one of the local air shows.

Heeding his country’s call to arms, Frank served in the Air Force during WWII and traveled to New York before being shipped overseas. He served his country with distinction, being awarded the Good Conduct Medal and the Distinguished Unit Badge. Frank eventually returned to the U.S. by way of the Panama Canal and was discharged in April 1952, with the appreciation of a grateful nation. After his term of duty, Frank continued to serve his country in the Air National Guard.

In the years following the war, Frank was blessed with three children: Linda was born in September of 1946, Frank, II in March of 1949 and then Tory in July of 1969. Though his marriages did not last, Frank remained a good father to his children. They have fond memories of the family spending every summer in northern Michigan and, in those days, traveling by car ferry to the Upper Peninsula. Frank always had a boat and the family regularly went water skiing closer to home on Gun Lake or Fine Lake where Frank's brother, Harold, lived. They also liked going to their Uncle John’s home, and in particular, Frank, II looked forward to going to the dump with his dad to shoot rats! Frank also enjoyed hunting.

In 1962, Frank moved to Grand Rapids and worked as an electrician with different unions and was a member of the IBEW Electrical Union. Often times he traveled out of state for work. Frank retired in 1984, allowing him more time to do the things he enjoyed, like adding to his gun and car collections, skeet and trap shooting, vacationing in Florida and going to flea markets, remodeling his house, and expressing his artistic talents. Whatever activities Frank found to do, he liked nothing better than to share them with friends. His pleasant nature made him easy to be around, and his wit kept friends entertained.

Frank L. McComb, of Battle Creek, died Thursday, August 7, 2008 at the VA Hospital in Battle Creek, after battling heart disease for several years. He will be remembered as someone who liked to have a good time and made sure those around him had fun, too.

Frank was preceded in death by his parents, his bother Harold McComb and his sister-in-law, Vivian McComb. Frank's family includes his children: Linda Hoover, Frank (Susan) McComb, II and Tory (Jodie) McComb; grandchildren: Shannon Hutchings, Shannon Buller and Michael Alexander; Great Grandchildren: Alan, Joseph, Ryan, Anjelica and Michael; brother: John (Maxine) McComb; sisters: Ethel (George) Webb and Alice Bielecki. Services for Frank will be held 11:00 AM Friday, September 19, 2008 at Ft. Custer National Cemetery.