Frank Campbell Kinter died Monday afternoon, Feb. 26, 2018, at Indiana Regional Medical Center. He was 93.
Frank was born on Aug. 31, 1924, in Coral, to Frank and Jean Harris Kinter. He had four siblings: John (Jack) Kinter, Donald Kinter, and Margaret Jane Opsahl, who preceded him in death, and Betty Lou Snyder, who lives in Homer City.
Frank graduated from Homer City High School in 1942 and immediately enlisted in the U.S. Navy. Doing so required his mother’s permission, since he was only 17. He served in the Pacific theater in World War II and in the Korean War. During World War II, he served aboard the USS Hickox, where he participated in many of the major battles that occurred in the Pacific. The Hickox and its crew also survived Halsey’s Typhoon. While he was reluctant to talk about his military experiences for much of his life, Frank described the night they encountered the typhoon as one of the most harrowing of his life. His pride in his country and his commitment to its service were foundational in Frank’s life.
Of similar importance was Frank’s faith. He was a member of Grace United Methodist Church, in Indiana, where he sang tenor in the choir for more than 60 years. As recently as last year, Frank could reliably be found in Grace’s choir loft each Sunday morning. He was a founding member of The Sprucemen, a barbershop quartet, which grew out of the relationships that he formed in the choir. The Sprucemen, in their best candy-stripped vests, sang at many of Frank’s children’s weddings.
The third pillar of Frank’s life was his family. It was the source of his greatest joy. Quietly affectionate as a younger man (sometimes even strict, if you ask his children), he was generous with his love as he aged. While Frank and his late wife, Mary Ellen, lived a disciplined, responsible lifestyle, there was always room at their dinner table for one more. Through his final days, Sunday night dinner with his whole family was a weekly occurrence.
Frank and Mary Ellen set an admirable example of how to live a life that prioritized the well-being of those they loved above all else. When their children had children, Frank demonstrated patience and selflessness as a babysitter, a significant contribution in maintaining everyone’s sanity. He put his considerable technical knowledge and talent to use helping to build electromagnets for grandchildren’s science fairs and constructing elaborate snow ramps for the simple pleasure of seeing his children’s and their friend’s smiles.
And, as Frank entered the twilight of his life, he was happy to tell anyone who was willing to listen that no man had lived a richer life than he, and that his wealth was derived entirely from his family’s love.
Frank was preceded in death by his wife of 63 years, Mary Ellen Benson, who died in July 2010.
He is survived by a large, loving and growing family, including: son Gary, of San Diego, granddaughter, Priscilla Lee, and great granddaughter, Rachel Knoll; daughter Beth Ann, Indiana; daughter Cindy Wolcott and her husband Jeff, San Luis Obispo, Calif., and granddaughter Morgan Murayama; son Frank and his wife Hastie, Indiana, grandson Joe Kinter (Carrie), granddaughter Kaiti Jackson (Matt), great-grandsons Benson and Cash, and granddaughter McKenzie Martini (Anthony); son Kris and his wife Lisa, Homer City, grandsons Steve and Chris (Kaity), great-granddaughter Lillyauna and great-grandson Parker; grandson Tim Kinter, granddaughter Daneale Henigin (Matt), great-grandsons Maxwell, Gavin and Ezra, and great-granddaughter Aubrey; daughter Wendy Moreau and husband Ted, Indiana, granddaughters Kristen Loughry (Adam) and Jenny Best (Mike), and grandson Mike Moreau; daughter Mary Hassell, granddaughter Caroline Shank (Evan), and grandson Reid Hassell; and son Scott and wife Sarah, Pozzouli, Italy.
The family would like to express our gratitude for the compassionate care provided by Dr. Ruth Woolcock and her staff, by Dr. Thomas Trevorrow and his staff, and by the staff at St. Andrew’s Village, especially those who always offered Frank a hug on his nightly journey through the halls. For those from Grace Church, especially Pastor Kathy Mihoerck and the members of the choir, thank you for making Frank as much a part of your family as you were of his.
We are the beneficiaries of our Dad’s, our Pop-Pop’s abundant love. We are grateful for the example of his kind, gentle spirit. We will miss his humor and his affection, but we will celebrate the freedom now granted to his soul. And, as his VNA butterflies hesitated to leave his presence, we, too, will keep him close, as a reminder of how to live a blessed, fulfilled, joyful life.
A funeral service will be held 11 a.m. Saturday, in the Fellowship Hall at Grace United Methodist Church, in Indiana. The family will greet friends prior to the service, from 10 to 11 a.m. at the church, and welcome them to Frank and Hastie Kinter’s home after the service, at 549 Chestnut St., in Indiana. Robinson-Lytle, Inc. is assisting the family with arrangements.
For those who wish, contributions may be made to Grace United Methodist Church, 712 Church St, Indiana.
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