Frank Deis Obituary

Deis
Frank Robert Deis
Frank Robert Deis, Jr., 74, of Colorado Springs, passed away Monday, October 23, surrounded by family, after a 17 year battle with Parkinson's disease.
He is survived by his beloved wife of 52 years, Donna R. Deis; brothers Brian Deis (Kay) & Gary Deis (Nancy); sons Robert F. Deis (Bobbie) and Kenneth A. Deis (Jennifer); and grandchildren Jake, Alex, Leah, Nathan, Tatyana, Jonathan, Caleb, and Michael Deis. His parents, Frank & Clara Deis, preceded him in death.
From an early age, Frank was a builder and lover of airplanes and rockets. His entire adult life, he had a passion for designing and building R/C gliders, and flew them with his buddies nearly every week. An accomplished R/C glider pilot, Frank won the Unlimited Grand Championship at the 6th Annual LSF R/C Soaring Nationals in 1975.
He earned a B.S. degree in Aeronautical Engineering at Purdue (where he met his wife, Donna), and his Master's degree in Systems Engineering at the University of Florida.
He spent his entire career in the aerospace industry, and was a vital part the early development of missile defense at Teledyne Brown Engineering in Huntsville, AL. He continued his work in national missile defense at Schriever AFB in Colorado Springs. Frank was, at various times the Chief Architect, Chief Scientist, and Chief Analyst at what became the Joint National Integration Center at Schriever.
Frank enjoyed camping and fishing with his family, building with his sons in his workshop, and spending time with his grandchildren. He took great satisfaction in applying his intellect, experience, and creativity to problem solving, and loved leading and teaching others to do the same. He worked hard in his home, his education, his profession, and his recreation, and he passed those values on to his sons and other students, boy scouts, and cadets he mentored.
His memorial service will be held at 11:00am, Saturday, November 4, at St. Paul's United Methodist Church, 2111 Carlton Ave, Colorado Springs, CO.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in his name to the Jeanne Taylor Parkinson's Support Group, c/o Colorado Parkinson Foundation, 1155 Kelly Johnson Blvd. Suite 111, Colorado Springs, CO 80920.
http://www.cappadonafh.com/obits/obituary.php?id=653135.