Obituary of Lee S Frank

 On October 23, 2020, Lee S. Frank, loving husband and father of three children, passed away peacefully, surrounded by his family, after a short battle with pancreatic cancer at the age of 87.

Lee was born on November 28, 1932 in Asbury Park, NJ to James Jr., and Auguste Frank. He attended college at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, and enlisted in the United States Air Force after two years of general business studies. In the Air Force, Lee was trained to repair the B-29 Airframe and jet engines. After an honorable discharge, Lee began a long career in automotive service equipment sales. In 1970, he was part of a group that started Galaxy Auto Centers, an automotive repair chain that grew to three centers in the Minneapolis-St. Paul metro area. Lee finished his career working in a leadership role and in sales for a national discount retailer.

On February 14, 1960, he married Alice “Allie” Hanaw. Together, they raised three children, a son, Kenny, and two daughters, Debbi (McGovern) and Lisa (Rasmussen).

Lee and Allie had a passion for miniatures and began collecting them in the late 1960’s. They began to attend conventions and shows all around the country in the late 1970’s and attended their first National Association of Miniature Enthusiasts (NAME) Regional Convention in 1983. They began to build room boxes to display their growing collection of 1/12th scale furniture, musical instruments, and books. Two of their creations, the “Library Parlor” and “Musical Reflections” were featured in the Nutshell News and Miniatures Showcase magazines. Both room boxes were also exhibited in New York City, Atlanta, and New Orleans. Lee served as the Minnesota State Representative for NAME from 1988 through 1992. In 1989, Lee and Allie published a 550-page hard cover book containing the hallmarks and other detailed information on more than 880 miniature artisans from around the world. Lee’s warm smile, kind heart, and compassionate spirit made him a special and valued friend to everyone he met.

Lee was preceded in death by his father, James Jr., and his mother, Auguste. He is survived by his wife of more than 60 years, Allie, and their three children, Kenny, Debbi, and Lisa, his sisters Barbara (Okun) and Judy (Hammes), eleven grandchildren, and five great grandchildren.

No service will be held. No flowers please, none of us have green thumbs! Donations may be sent to the International Diabetes Center at Park Nicollet Methodist Hospital, or to the Park Nicollet Frauenshuh Cancer Center in St. Louis Park, MN