Richard Frail

Richard Melvin ?Dick? Frail 92, died at 5:50 p.m. December 6, 2007, at Lima Memorial Health System. He was born July 8, 1915, in Van Wert, Ohio to John William and Ethel Witherspoon Frail, who preceded him in death. On November 12, 1938, he married Dorothy Werking, of North Manchester, Indiana, who died November 23, 1990. Mr. Frail retired in 1982 from Fidelity Builders Supply. He had spent most of his life in construction work, working for Tuttle Construction, Knowlton & Green & Sawyer and had been a field engineer for McLaughlin & Kile Architects, Strong & Strong and Helser & Helser Architects. He had been a site inspector for Housing and Urban Development and for the Veterans Administration, working with GI housing in Ohio. He designed several private homes, small churches and businesses in the Lima area and did drafting and detail work for several Lima area housing developers. He was a member of Westside United Methodist Church, formerly High Street United Methodist Church, where he served as a trustee and sang in the choir. His love for singing carried over to the Leaning Towers, a men?s ensemble from his church, and to the Lima Beane Chorus. He was a 32nd degree Mason, a 60-year member of Fort Amanda Lodge 706 Free & Accepted Masons and a member of the Scottish Rite and the York Rite. He was active in his retirement years with the Lima Sertoma Club and especially enjoyed working on their pancake day. He enjoyed woodworking and making and repairing items for family and friends. He made several miniature wooden Christmas ornaments as gifts for family and friends. He was an Army and Army Air Corps veteran of World War II, serving from 1945 to 1946. He served in the Asiatic-Pacific Theater, the Philippine Islands and at the Army Air Base on the Island of Guam, where he supervised housing construction. He was discharged on August 13, 1946. Survivors include three children, Phyllis K. (Roger) Born, of Circleville, Ohio, the Rev. Todd E. (Linda) Frail, of Findlay, Ohio, and Donna J. (Rev. John) Osborn, of Lebanon, Ohio; five grandchildren; five great-grandchildren; four sisters, Eloise Shutt, Virginia Hefner, Mary Lutz and Pauline (Rollie) Rone, all of Lima, Ohio; and longtime friend, Doris Cook, of Lima, Ohio. Services will begin at 10:30 a.m. Monday at Westside United Methodist Church. The Rev. Bill Cronk will officiate. Burial will be in Memorial Park Cemetery. Friends may call from 3 to 8 p.m. Sunday at Chamberlain-Huckeriede Funeral Home, where a Masonic service will be held at 8 p.m., and one hour prior to services Monday at the church. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Westside United Methodist Church, Otterbein Retirement Community, Cridersville, or the American Diabetes Association, P.O. Box 2680, North Canton, OH 44720. Condolences may be expressed at www.chamberlainhuckeriede.com.