Erwin Frank, 98, died peacefully on June 26, 2024, surrounded by his family.

He was the loving husband of Ursula Frank, who passed in 2019, and is survived by his children, Ron Frank of Southbury and Diane Wenick of Newtown; his daughter-in-law, Phyllis Lazar; and his grandchildren, Alana, Josh, Adam and Danielle.

He was born to a Jewish family in Chemnitz, Germany on December 15, 1925 and lived there until the rise of Hitler and Nazism. In the years to come he would be banned from attending school, his father’s textile business would be confiscated by the Nazis, and his father would be imprisoned and eventually released from a Nazi detention camp. In 1939, the family secured a visa to Jewish Palestine.

Erwin lived outside of Tel Aviv with his family and joined the Hagannah, a precursor to the Israeli army. He fought in 1948 for the new Jewish state’s independence, but a few years later had his sights set on coming to America. He arrived in 1952 with $10 in his wallet.

He met his wife, Ursula, on a blind date and they were married in 1954 on an NBC television show called Bride and Groom. Eventually they would have two children, Ron and Diane, and move to Roslyn, Long Island. He worked at LaGuardia airport as a food production manager for one of the first airline food companies.

Erwin loved animals, including horses and dogs, and had many beloved Dachshunds throughout his life. He played chess masterfully and once played against former Prime Minister of Israel, David Ben Gurion. He loved golf and woodworking, building things from small intricate children’s toys to second floor additions on his home. In retirement, he learned to design and create beautiful stained glass art. Ursula and Erwin loved travel, nature, and adventures, and spent much of their time traveling Europe, Asia, and the US. His favorite place in the world was Switzerland.

In his own words, Erwin wants to be remembered “as a person who loved his family and was very proud of all of them.” He worked very hard, was honest, and enjoyed life. He was loved tremendously and will be missed.