Frank Bryan, Jr.'s Obituary
Frank Bryan Jr. died on Thursday, January 18th, 2018 at age 84 at his home in Pacifica, California with his family at his side.Frank was born to Alice and Frank Bryan Sr. in Panama City, Republic of Panama on December 30th, 1933. His father was an employee of the Panama Canal Company. He grew up in the small town of Pedro Miguel on the Panama Canal Zone. He lived an adventurous youth exploring the jungles, tropical forests, and beaches of Panama, and frequently entertained family and friends with stories of his adventures and shenanigans from that time. He graduated from Balboa High School on the Canal Zone in 1952, lettering in football. He worked as a lifeguard during his teens. After high school he left the Canal Zone, as he said to see the world and landed in San Francisco, California. There, he began as an apprentice machinist with the American Can Company. His apprenticeship was interrupted by military service in the U.S. Army from 1954 to 1957. He served in Northern France and Germany as a heavy equipment mechanic. Following his military service he completed his apprenticeship, becoming a journeyman machinist. In 1963, he was hired by United Airlines as a machinist at their maintenance base at the San Francisco airport, and worked there until his retirement in 1996. He took great pride in working with his hands and being a craftsman.Frank married Claire Haines, his high school sweetheart from the Canal Zone in 1956. Following his discharge from the Army they began their life and family in the San Francisco Bay Area. They purchased their newly built home in the Linda Mar district of Pacifica in 1959, where they spent the rest of their lives. The coastal location of their home reflected Frank’s love of the ocean, which he shared with his children Frank and Corky. He was an enthusiastic scuba diver, and the family spent many weekends camping and abalone diving up and down the northern California coast and vacationed in attractive diving locales. He was very involved in his children and grandchildren’s activities including scouts, competitive swimming and archery, soccer, and motorcycle racing. Frank loved to travel and he took advantage of his benefits as an employee of United Airlines to take his family to Hawaii, the Caribbean, Central America and Europe. He was an avid San Francisco 49er fan and shared season tickets for many years with his daughter. Frank was a long time member of the Pacifica Moose Lodge. He made many friends as a volunteer and patron at the Pacifica Community Center.Frank will be remembered as a loving husband, father and grandfather, for his friendliness, generosity, and the optimism with which he faced life’s challenges. He is survived by his son Frank III of Boulder, Colorado, daughter Courtnay Haws of Palmdale, California, grandchildren John Gross and Casey Gross of Pacifica, Ophelia Bryan of Portland Oregon, and great grandchildren Jonnie Marie and Carson Bancroft of Pacifica. He was predeceased by his parents, sister Peggy Anderson, and wife Claire.A private family service will be held at Skylawn Memorial Park on Sunday, January 28. A celebration of Frank’s life for friends and family will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations in memory of Frank are suggested to either the Alzheimer’s Association (www.alz.org) or the Monterey Bay Aquarium (www.montereybayaquarium.org).
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