Obituaries
Frank Barath, Virginia Frank
Frank Barath
Frank Barath passed away on July 3 after a valiant struggle with complications resulting from surgery to remove a cancerous brain tumor.
Frank was born in Paris, France where he received a degree from the University of Paris. After immigrating to Montreal, he earned additional degrees from McGill University before moving to La Cañada in 1961 to begin his long and successful career at JPL.
Frank pioneered development of microwave instruments for scientific use on spacecraft, including the first spacecraft to Venus. That instrument definitively determined that Venus had a hot surface, answering a key question being asked at the dawn of the space age.
Later accomplishments included development of instruments that are now routinely used for weather forecasting. He became chief engineer of JPL’s Science Division and led a team to develop an instrument that provided critical data on chlorine depletion of stratospheric ozone.
He received two medals from NASA for Outstanding Leadership and Exceptional Achievement. Frank retired in 1999 but continued to do consulting at JPL.
He is survived by his wife, Annette; two daughters, Cindy and Athena; two granddaughters, Arielle and Destiny; two sisters: Madeleine and Yolande.
Frank’s interests were world travel, photography, camping and scuba diving. He lived an exceptional life which included an outstanding career, adventure and extraordinary friends. His ashes will be scattered in a little country graveyard in Louisiana.
If you wish to make a donation in his honor, go to: www.24hoursofbooty.org.
Virginia Frank
Longtime La Cañada resident and real estate broker Virginia Frank passed away July 23 from respiratory failure.
Virginia was born on Sept. 12, 1919 in Mentor, Kansas. She moved to California when she was 6 years old with her mother and older brother and sister, settling in Glendale. She attended schools in Glendale and graduated from Glendale High School in 1937. She went to UCLA for a few years but due medical issues had to take off some time. Afterward, she took a job at Lockheed, turning down an opportunity at an up-start company called Disney.
She met her future husband, Gus (USC) and was married April 3, 1939. They made their home in La Cañada after a brief stint in San Diego where Gus worked as an air traffic controller during the war. Virginia was a dedicated wife, helping her husband in real estate until the birth of her third child in 1956. She continued to help Gus with his general contracting business but devoted the majority of her time to raising three kids (Doug, Bob and Carolyn). During the children’s school years Virginia, better know as Ginny to her friends, immersed herself in the local PTAs, serving as president at Palm Crest, Foothill Intermediate School and La Cañada High School.
After her children graduated from La Cañada schools, she went back to work in real estate, first with Journey’s End as a sales agent and broker and finally with the Dilbeck office, where she continued to work until three years ago, having sold her home in La Cañada as her last deal with real estate associate Ray Combs. She lived the last three years at Windsor Manor in Glendale.
Besides being involved in the local schools, Virginia was actively involved in the La Cañada Presbyterian Church, serving as deacon and elder several times. She and Gus were also members of the church-affiliated Clippers Club, where they met many of their best friends.
Virginia was known for her positive, optimistic attitude and smiling face, which she had until the very end. She liked everyone she met and had many friends that will miss her.
She will be especially missed by her family Doug Frank and his wife Inez; Bob Frank, his wife Kim and her two grandchildren Austin and Cayley Frank; as well as her niece Joan Frank.
The memorial service for Virginia will be held at the La Cañada Presbyterian Church on Aug. 7 at 1 p.m. promptly. In lieu of flowers the family suggests a donation to Hillside School and Learning Center in La Cañada or the La Cañada Presbyterian Church Deacon Fund.