Franklin R. Kristl 3-30-2010
Information from Titus Funeral Home, Warsaw, Indiana.
Franklin
R. Kristl, 92, of Warsaw, passed away on March 30th in Bloomington,
IN. Frank was born on August 29, 1917 in South Bend,
IN, the beloved only child of Francis (Frank) J. and Maude Mae
(Enyert) Kristl. Graduating from Mishawaka High School
in 1936, he lettered in both basketball and track and field. In
1936 his basketball team won the sectional championship and in
track he was the state champion in both low hurdles and the broad
jump (now called long jump). He set a Mishawaka High
School track and field record in broad jump in 1935, which stood
for 29 years.
Frank won a track scholarship to
the University of Pittsburgh and graduated in 1940 with a degree
in mechanical engineering. Upon graduation, he moved
to Washington, D.C. where he worked as an engineer in the Navy
Department designing submarines. While in Washington,
he met Alyce Wear and they were married on December 27, 1941
in Omaha, Nebraska. The following month he reported
to Officers Candidate School with the US Navy and served throughout
World War II as the engineering officer on two submarines, first
the USS Flasher and later the USS Angler. In 1944-45, he received
the Bronze Star with Oak Leaf Cluster for "heroic and meritorious
service in action."
At the end of World War II, Frank returned to Indiana, where
he worked for many years as the Plant Engineer for Uniroyal,
beginning in Washington, Indiana, then for 23 years at Ball Band
in Mishawaka, and finally in Warsaw, Indiana. Following
his retirement from Uniroyal, he formed and operated Fabricating
and Maintenance Service, Inc., served as the Warsaw City Engineer,
and then became Executive Officer and Plant Manager of TV Time,
Inc, in Bremen, retiring in 1992. While at TV Time
he was revered for instituting an after-hours reading and math
program whereby many employees earned their GED.
On November 11, 1995, Frank married
Helen McGlashan in Bloomington, IN and they enjoyed more than
14 wonderful years together. They spent summers on
the lake in Warsaw and winters at their home in Sun City Center,
FL, enjoying the weather, dancing, and playing golf.
In addition to his wife, Helen,
Frank is survived by his three children, Timothy Kristl, of Kansas
City, MO, Colleen (Gerard) Pauwels, of Bloomington, IN, and Dr.
Kevin (Kimberly) Kristl, of Mishawaka, IN. He had eleven grandchildren
William (Wendy) Kristl, and Timothy (Rosemarie) Kristl II, of
Kansas City, MO; Michael Kristl of Las Vegas, NV; Erin Pauwels
and Matthew Pauwels of Bloomington, IN; Hannah Kristl and Adam
Kristl of Mishawaka; Peter Kristl of Buchanan, MI; Brooke (Adam)
Whitaker of Granger, Shauna Curtis of South Bend; and Heather
(Mitchell) Dudeck of Fishers, IN. He had four great-grandchildren,
Logan Cremer Kristl, and twins Madelynn Mary Kristl and Isabelle
Carol Kristl of Kansas City, MO; and Madason Whitaker of Granger.
He also had three step children, Linda Ellison, and Victoria
(Rene) Tyson of Warsaw, and David McGlashan of Aiken, SC., five
step-grandchildren, and one step-great-grandchild.
Frank was preceded in death by
his first wife of nearly 48 years, Alyce, and his daughter-in-law,
Carol Kristl.
Frank was a member of Sacred Heart
Catholic Church in Warsaw, the Knights of Columbus, the Warsaw
Rotary Club, and the Hoosier Squadron of the US Submarine Veterans
of World War II. In 1967, he was certified as a professional
engineer by the State of Indiana. In 1991 he was inducted
into the Indiana Association of Track and Cross Country Coaches
Hall of Fame and into the Mishawaka High School Athletic Hall
of Fame.
Visitation will be on Monday, April
5th from 5 to 8pm, with a rosary at 7:30 at Titus Funeral Home,
2000 Sheridan St. in Warsaw. Services will be held
on Tuesday, April 6th at 11 am at Sacred Heart Church, 125 N.
Harrison St., Warsaw, followed by burial at the Oakwood Cemetery
in Warsaw where Military Graveside Rites will be conducted by
Warsaw's American Legion Post #49 and VFW Post #1126.
The family requests that donations
be made in Frank's name to the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital,
www.StJude.org 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105.
The staff of Titus Funeral Home
considers it a privilege to care for the family of Franklin R.
Kristl. (9-8-10)
