Oct 14, 2013

Served in Marine Corps, loved to fish

William Charles “Bill” Frantz, 64, of Washington, Canton Township, died Friday, October 11, 2013, in his home.

He was born June 19, 1949, in Washington, a son of William Wilson Frantz and Mary Ann Openbrier Frantz. He was raised predominantly by his grandmother, Mary Grast, whom he admired for her faithfulness to God and her strong willpower.

Mr. Frantz enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps in 1967 and went to boot camp training at Parris Island. He served in Vietnam in the DMZ area in 1967-1968 with the 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marines, 3rd Marine Division as a M-60 gun squad leader. While in Vietnam, he received three Purple Hearts for injuries that caused him to be a 100 percent disabled veteran. His citations include the National Defense Service Medal, Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal with three stars, Republic of Vietnam Service Ribbon, Republic of Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with palm, Combat Action Ribbon and Meritorious Unit Citation. He was honorably discharged December 10, 1970.

A proud moment of his life was meeting Col. John W. Ripley at a 3/3 reunion and Col. Ripley saying he heard that Mr. Frantz’s “machine guns kicked ass.”

He worked most of his life for the Department of Defense in Civil Service at Naval Air Station Oceana in Norfolk, Va. He loved it so much that he always said he would go back to work there for free. He also worked briefly for the U.S. Postal Service in Washington and Pittsburgh, and retired from the transportation unit of the Veterans Affairs Office in Pittsburgh.

Mr. Frantz was a life member of the Military Order of the Purple Heart, Vietnam Veterans Inc. and Marine Corps League. He attended St. Hilary Church and was a regular member of the Pulaski Club, Polish Club and the American Legion Edwin Scott Linton Post 175, where he proudly served on the Honor Guard. Over the years, he served in numerous officer and director positions at each social club, including second vice commander and first vice commander at the legion.

He loved to fish, camp and shoot guns recreationally at the Dormont-Mt. Lebanon Sportsmen’s Club as well as assemble model cars as a hobby. In the past, he had been the proud owner of many vintage cars.

Mr. Frantz was well known for his strong will, faith in God, love of his kids and willingness to help everyone around him before himself.

He will be missed by his surviving children, Melanie Frantz of Washington and Mack (Renee) Frantz of Morgantown, W.Va., who are children to his former wife, Susan Navoy Frantz, and Jeremy (Jennifer) Frantz, of Okinawa and William Frantz Jr. (Wendy Brown), who are children to his first wife, Sandra Jo Eastham Guzzo.

Also surviving are a stepsister, Joanne Capitani and grandchildren, Alex Skidmore, Ariel Frantz, Matthew McNeal, Nicholas Frantz, Benjamin Frantz and Katie Frantz.

Friends will be received from 4 to 8 p.m. Thursday in William G. Neal Funeral Homes Ltd., 925 Allison Avenue, Washington, where a Blessing Service will be held at 11 a.m. Friday, October 18. Burial will follow in National Cemetery of the Alleghenies, Cecil Township. Military rites will be accorded graveside by American Legion Edwin Scott Linton Post 175.

Additional information and guest book are available at www.NealFuneralHome.com.