Obituary

Francis A. Willette, Jr.

Francis “Frank” A. Willette, Jr. died Sunday, September 14, 2008 at his home on Riverside.  His nephew, Jesse David Willette, who had been caring for him during the past many months of his illness, was with him when he passed away.

Frank was born June 4, 1933 in Bloomington, Illinois to Francis Willette, Sr. and Margaret (Rasor) Willette. He graduated with honors from St. Leo’s Catholic School and Calumet High School in the south side of Chicago, and was a member of the ROTC, and was in the Boy Scouts.  After high school he was in the U.S. Army occupational forces in Germany during the end of WWII.

He attended the University of Michigan after his honorable discharge as an NCO from the U.S. Army.  He graduated in 1960 and with a B.A. in Political science, International Law and International Relations.  From Michigan he went to the U.S. Department of State during the Kennedy administration and was stationed in Brazil.  After his tour with the State Department he enrolled in the College of Law at Wayne State University, graduated in 1972, and was concurrently admitted to the Michigan BAR that same year.  While he was attending law school he clerked for the Michigan Circuit Court and was specially honored by the court who personally swore him into the Bar for his scholarship.

He was in private practice until he moved to the Southern California area to be with his father who was then in his late seventies, and take his new employment with the U.S. Department of Defense as a contract administrator overseeing major military equipment projects until his retirement.  He settled in Riverside, California where he lived for twenty-two years. 

Having been an active Scout as a youth, he quickly joined the Boy Scout program as an adult volunteer shortly after moving to the Riverside area.  He had always maintained a lifetime interest in Scouting, and was committed to the principals of character development and integrity that the Boy Scouts taught youth.  He believed that Scouting was an important program for his development and success in life and was convinced it would assist today’s youth, and this was his way to give back to the Boy Scouts and the community what Scouting had taught him.  He initiated a program to involve youth from throughout the Inland Empire Council on canoe trips to the Boundary Waters area of Minnesota and Canada as part of the BSA High Adventure program.

He had always been politically involved and was an outspoken advocate about the superior benefits of the American governmental system, was committed to the belief that good citizenship is the most important aspect of patriotism.  He pursued his scholarship in his retirement and always had a copy of the American Federalist Papers, one of the last books he re-read at his bedside, next to his bible.  He was a participating member of the American Legion and was a life member of the Riverside Veteran’s of Foreign Wars. 

A memorial service will be held at Saint Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church in Riverside, California at 8:00 AM on Saturday, September 20, 2008. 

He is survived by his four younger brothers, Jesse F. Willette, an attorney practicing in Long Beach; Richard D. Willette, a scientist of Blair, Wisconsin; John J. Willette, an aerospace engineer and teacher in Bridgeport, Washington; and Walter B. Willette, an artist of Portland, Oregon. Besides Jesse David Willette, his other nieces and nephews include Lesley Schelzke, and Denice Willette, both of Oregon, Jason Willette of Las Vegas, and Kristin Kahn of Yorba Linda.