A TRIBUTE TO FRANK ..... an epic kind of guy and an epic friend

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Wow, He's gone. When I heard the word of Frank's passing it took my breath away and I had to sit down but it didn't hurt, as I have a greater hope and I know we shall soon be united once again.

I have not ever known another like Frank and if I could describe my friend with one word it would be "EPIC!" with caps and an exclamation mark. If you spent much time with this dreamer, you would inevitably find yourself caught up in one of his exploits to make a dream become reality ...... and that was a really good thing or possibly a really bad thing but more than likely a mixture of

both. Oh, how I enjoyed the best of times with my friend and I wanted to hug his neck when it was over. Then again I have also suffered through some of the worst of times and I wanted to wring that very same neck (lol).

The one thing that just drove me nuts about dear ol' Frank was his tendency to embellish what ever he said or did. The perplexity came because you knew he was capable of carrying out any story told and every endeavor embarked upon, but after a while you knew there was always the BS factor to be considered ......... or was it really BS? Could it be that Frank saw things a little differently than the rest of us? I truly believe so, and that was why there seemed no bounds too great or too distant to keep this man from trying what others would run from and oft with terror in their eyes and faint in their hearts.

Oh my, the multitude of stories I could tell of my times with Frank but I will suffice with but one today, taken from the accounts of three decades ago.

Frank and I weren't doing much together when this memorable event took place as my wife, Cathy and I were in our religious mode and Frank had left this same mode for more of the rigors and excitement of the world. Who had the better part at this time? Well today, I look back and know our paths were each Divinely appointed, but that is another story all together. Any way I had run into Frank and he told me someone had just given him a plane and he asked me if I would like to take a ride in it. We made arrangements for a flight the next morning and when I met Frank at the airport he explained that we needed to do a few minor repairs on the plane before we took it up. This was not sounding good already but after a few protesting words I agreed and then Frank handed me two rolls of Duct Tape. Whoa! is not Duct Tape the very worst thing you would want your pilot to hand you pre-flight, much less two rolls of it. Oh Frank!

Well we walked out to the where the gifted plane was tied down and I was really scratching my head upon my first view of this antique monstrosity. This beast of a plane was the very exact color as the rolls of grey Duct Tape I held in my hands, giving possible cause for further consternation.

So Frank showed me the torn fabric on the wings he wanted me to tape up and he set about pumping up one of the flat tires on the plane. After we finished these repairs, my grinning pilot told me that he discovered a puddle under the plane so he deduced that the fuel cylinder must have a leak. "No problem" Frank announced and then He asked if I had some money for some more gas before we went up. If that wasn't the final nail in the coffin for my refusal to go any further with this misguided adventure, he then told me there was a short in the starter. When he proceeded to demonstrate how he wanted me to hand prop the propeller I nearly fainted and said, "see ya, Frank!"


I bid him fare well and asked him, should he get the plane up, please fly by the house and tip a wing. I told him , "Cathy and I were having our pastor and his wife over for a barbecue in a few hours and would be lunching out side."

At the time Cathy and I lived out in the country and that afternoon we were having a wonderful time cooking and sharing fellowship in the shade of the three large pecan trees that sheltered the yard. I had just put the steaks on when I heard the sound of a distant plane approaching. "Cool" I thought. Maybe Frank had gotten the plane up and that was him coming to tip a wing in salute to the us. YEAH RIGHT!!!

The next hour was filled with all out pandemonium and complete horror. You see Frank as usual had to lend a little embellishment to his fly by. Oh no, of course the polite tipping of a wing would never suffice as a salute. As we all stood gazing up at this grey plane coming ever larger into view we could never have imagined the depth of this greeting we would be receiving from Frank. This gleeful pilot kept coming at us full bore until we decided to run for our lives into the house. The noise was deafening, the house shook and I could hear the pecans falling onto the roof as Frank brushed the top most branches of the trees with his landing gear.

Finally the pastor, his wife, Cathy and myself gathered ourselves thinking we had weathered the storm with nothing but a few years cut off our lives because of the fear we had just experienced. A bit dazed, we finally wandered back outside to the picnic table and grill to continue our visit and finish preparing our meal. As soon as we had just begun to relax again we were startled anew by the roaring engine of Frank's plane fast approaching. Seconds later we were again climbing all over each other as we sought escape from this terrifying grey flying beast with it's laughing pilot at the stick. This went on and on for almost an hour as Frank came again and again from a different direction each time with his worn out obnoxious greetings. The steaks finally burned and the prepared food dishes on the table were filled with branches and pecans when we finally decided it would be better to just give up and go into town and find a quiet restaurant in which to have a meal.

That is my Frank story and I know all of you that spent time with him over the years have an equally epic story to tell of this most EPIC guy. Did I embellish this old tale and might you also with the telling of your Frank stories today as you gather together in remembrance? I certainly hope so, because with the added embellishments you will tell it as he would have seen it and told it himself.

Frank, when I soon see you again, I know we'll have some more great stories to swap. And they will all be perfectly embellished because they will be about Him. Dear friend, our God is so wondrous and magnificent that only He could create one like you to express Himself in such epic ways never known before or here after.

Jack



Dr. P. Frank McKane was born to Paul and Annagene McKane on December 14, 1942 in Oklahoma City. He passed from this life on November 1, 2007 in Los Angeles, following a long battle with complications from cancer. He attended Harding High School in Oklahoma City. He received his Bachelor's and Master's degrees from East Central University and his PhD in Instructional Psychology & Technology from the University of Oklahoma. Frank was an Army veteran who was proud to have served as a Green Beret in the Special Forces. He had a long and varied career. He especially loved his work as a commercial pilot and his university work. He retired from Northeastern State University as Director of the Center for Study of Literacy. He is survived by his wife Margie; his son, Mark McKane and wife Lori; daughters, Brandy Dew and Becky Jones; sister, Dedee Hoops and husband John; grandchildren, Kayla and Christopher McKane, and Michelle and Taylor Dew; and a host of other relatives and friends. He is preceded in death by his parents; brother, Dr. Larry McKane; and sister, Ray Lynn Smith. Memorial services will be held at Reed-Culver Funeral Home in Tahlequah at 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday, November 14, 2007. Private burial services will be held at a later date at Resurrection Memorial Cemetery, 7801 NW Expressway, OKC. The family requests donations to the American Cancer Society, 6525 N. Meridian, OKC, OK 73116, or to Fisher House Helping Military Families, fisherhouse.org. Arrangements directed by Reed Culver Funeral Home, (918) 456-2551. Published in The Oklahoman on 11/13/2007.


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