Blog: Dermot Cole
Family, friends mourn Alaska construction pioneer Con Frank
Published Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Con Frank, a civil engineer who helped build modern Alaska, has died at Fairbanks Memorial Hospital.
Frank, who was 87, remained alert until shortly before the end Monday night. He greeted a steady stream of more than 100 relatives and friends who visited him over the past week at the hospital. "Lots of love," he told them.
Frank, who was born in Alberta, became an American citizen and served in the U.S. Army during World War II.
He arrived in Fairbanks on July 16, 1946 and earned a degree in civil engineering at the University of Alaska in Fairbanks.
His is the surname not represented in the acronym engraved on projects across Alaska — "Ghemm Co."
The name was created from the first letters of the last names of Clyde Geraghty, Carl Heflinger, Carl Erickson, Robert Mitchell and Harvey Marlin.
Mitchell and Geraghty began in the trucking business. When Heflinger decided in the late 1950s to do more gold mining, he sold his interest to Frank.
"With him doing our bidding, we got into a different frame of work, more professional jobs," the late Harvey Marlin once told reporter Patricia Jones about Con. "We turned the corner with more sophisticated work."
Frank led the company for decades, tackling many complicated and remote projects. One of the most difficult was the joint venture Ghemm did with Manson-Osberg to construct the Yukon River Bridge.
The company built the University Avenue bridge and the Salcha River Bridge among many others. It has completed more than 600 construction jobs, including many buildings in the Fairbanks area.
Frank retired in 2004, but he was a daily presence at the Ghemm office until late last year.
He served as a member of the UA Board of Regents and received many awards from his peers in the construction industry.
He would often show up between 3 a.m. and 5 a.m. during his younger years and put in seven days a week.
We'll have more on the life of Con Frank in the paper Wednesday.
Oh my Gosh, I knew Con. He was a terrific gentleman. Great to work with. I'm sorry to hear of his passing. My thoughts and prayers go out to his family.
And so they pass, the people that built this country. Good job Con. You rest now. You did good. We're proud of you.
If you can "exit stage left," smiling, expressing love for your family and friends, and embracing them with a smile, then you've broken the proverbial ribbon at the finish line, with arms raised, head up, and evidence of a race well run..
I didn't know you,..but thank you for you hard work.
I met and got to know Con over the last year. He was a great, great man. I enjoyed getting to know him. Thoughts and prayers for his family....
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