Frank Leroy Warren
Frank Leroy Warren passed away peacefully early Wednesday, September 13 at the age of 92 in the company of this loving wife Jeanette.
Frank, born a twin to brother William Stewart Warren on February 14, 1925, was raised by loyal parents in Scottsbluff, Nebraska. The Great Depression forced the family westward on a slow and rough journey that finally landed them in San Luis Obispo, California.
A single day before his eighteenth birthday, Frank enlisted in the Army of the United States 234th Army Air Force base unit. For three years, Frank’s lifelong love for aviation truly took flight and proved to be most valuable to the U.S. Air Force. After being honorably discharged in 1946, Frank pursued a hearty education in the arts at UCSBC on the Riviera and The Art Center in Los Angeles.
Over the course of his life, Frank finely tuned his natural gift as a brilliant realist artist and produced an astonishing breadth of award-winning works. He especially relished the opportunity to depict anything aviation based and did so masterfully using acrylic paints. Several of Franks works are on display in the Smithsonian Museum and the Oshkosh Air museum in Wisconsin.
The year 1950 brought Frank and wife Jeanette together in holy matrimony that has lasted for 67 beautiful years. In their early years together, the pair enjoyed a life in Manhattan Beach where Frank worked for Hughes Aircraft and TRW as Art Director. Frank and Jeanette produced three healthy offspring – Tom, Alison, and Casey, all of whom were lovingly encouraged to reach their greatest potential and be precisely the people they wanted to be, despite societal norms.
In 1990, Frank and Jeanette retired to the hills of Santa Barbara where they continued a strong communion with nature and family. Granddaughters Scotti, Paige, Amanda, and Emma all hold fond memories of their time spent at Grandma and Papa’s house on West Camino Cielo. Thirteen years ago, Frank and Jeanette “temporarily” moved into Rancho Santa Barbara, where they soon discovered an irreplaceable community of friends. Retirement allowed Frank the time to enjoy playing senior softball, a seat in a local writing class that he took year after year, and a chance to volunteer at Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic.
Frank will be remembered by many for his vast and sometimes overwhelming wealth of knowledge and ability to recall nearly everything he’d encountered throughout his life. Frank’s wit and charming sense of humor afforded him many a great conversation and gained him instant respect and admiration from those who met him. He will be forever praised for his unfaltering faith in his children’s and grandchildren’s ability to achieve whatever they should choose to. Frank’s absence will affect countless fans, near and far.
A celebration of life will be held October 1, 2017 at 2 o’clock in the afternoon at the Rancho Santa Barbara Clubhouse located at 333 Old Mill Road in Santa Barbara.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that contributions be made to the Visiting Nurses and Hospice Care at 512 East Gutierrez Street, Suite A, Santa Barbara, California 93103. Frank and his family will be forever grateful for the heartfelt and outstanding services they received during their stay at Serenity House.