Frank L Fortney

Frank Lee Fortney, 83 of Merritt Island, FL entered into God’s kingdom on February 1, 2024. He was born in E. St. Louis, IL in 1940 to Robert and Irene Fortney.

Frank, a devoted husband, father, father-in-law, and grandfather was the widower of Virginia (Ginny) Fortney. He is survived by his daughters, Gina (Jerry), Julie (Tim), and his son Donald. He is also survived by his loving grandchildren, Michael, Matthew, Seth, Grace, and Gus, his partner Patricia Klauer from Auburn, CA, and his cat Noel.

Raised in Los Angeles, CA, Frank attended UCLA and Fresno State where he met local girl Virginia Copp also attending Fresno State. They married in August of 1962 and were married for 60 years. Frank graduated from Fresno State and joined the Air Force to serve his country. Frank became an AWACS plane radar specialist and served during the Vietnam War. He volunteered to go to Vietnam, but they sent him to a radar installation in Alaska instead.

Frank and Ginny were blessed with their first child, Gina in 1963 and was first stationed (after graduating from Fresno State) at Tyndell AFB, FL for three months while attending Tech School. Upon finishing his training, Frank was then assigned to Germany (Sembach and Cella). They packed up Gina and made the move across the pond in 1964. While serving his country overseas Frank and Ginny made the amazing decision to adopt their second child Donald as an infant in 1967. After returning to the states the family was stationed in Ajo, AZ. In 1971, they rounded out their family with the birth of their daughter Julie while stationed at Luke AFB, AZ. Shortly after Julie’s birth Frank was reassigned to Hanscom AFB, MA and moved in 1976 to Tacoma, WA where he finished out his career in the Air Force.

Frank retired from the Air force as a highly decorated Major and went to work for MacDonald Douglas which was eventually purchased by Boeing. Transferring to the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, FL in 1984, he and Virgina, minus a recently married Gina, and a hard working Donald, moved to Merritt Island, FL with Julie where they would reside for the next 40 years.

Frank thrived at the Space Center and became a payload specialist for a large number of launches including several space shuttle missions. He once remarked to a reserve astronaut headed back down the elevator after a launch: “I think you missed your flight”. After retirement from Boeing in 2003 he bought a boat and became a volunteer member of the Coast Guard Auxiliary. Even in retirement he never stopped serving his country proudly.

Following the death of his wife Ginny, Frank found love again with Pat Klauer, with whom he wanted to spend his remaining years. He told everyone he met that his new romance was a “fairy tale story” and talked about their rekindling after meeting in high school some 65 years earlier. He was so happy but unfortunately, he didn’t get to fulfill some of the dreams he and Pat shared; they wanted to travel and just enjoy this new life together..

Frank was an incredibly kind, compassionate man who put others before himself every day of his life. His devotion to his wife, his three children, and their families was unwavering. Frank had a thirst for learning and in his later years took photography classes and computer classes at a local community college, and became a tech wiz. Thinking himself a handy man while being hilariously clumsy, Frank puttered around the house constantly “fixing” things that oftentimes needed more fixing after he was done.

Frank was truly a great man whose impact will be forever felt by his family and friends. His capacity to love, support, provide, and forgive will be remembered forever by the people who knew him.

A memorial service will take place at 10 a.m. on February 12 at the Sacramento Valley National Cemetery in Dixon, CA where he will be laid to rest with full military honors. Donations can be made to the ASPCA or the Wounded Warriors Projects.