Franklin "Frank" Delano Heatley

Franklin "Frank" Delano Heatley

Franklin "Frank" Delano Heatley, 77 of Mountain Home, passed away on Saturday, April 30, 2011 at a Boise hospital. A memorial mass will be held at 10:00AM, on Tuesday, May 17, 2011, at Our Lady of Good Counsel. A lunch will follow at the Good Counsel Hall. Please come and help us celebrate Frank's life. Arrangements are under the direction of Rost Funeral Home, McMurtrey Chapel.

Frank was born in Los Angeles, to Charles and Minnie Alice Heatley. He was the youngest, joining a sister and three brothers. His brother Hershel, being the closest in age became Frank's adviser, mentor and best friend. They built many "stock cars" together for Hershel to drive in races, thus Frank's love of watching races.

Frank's mother was told by their doctor that Frank had to be moved out of California, to a drier climate if he were to live when he was 8 years old. So his mother packed up the whole family and moved to Henderson, Nevada. His father was working there on the dam that was being built. Frank attended school in Henderson, playing basketball, football and baseball. Frank joined the US Navy in May of 1952.

Frank was stationed on ships, going to sea, out of Hawaii, for the first part of his naval career, serving in the Korean War, where he met his friend and later his first wife, Maggie Kepaa Doctorello. She died of cancer after only 6 months of marriage.

Frank was then stationed stateside in California where he met and married Marvel Broyles, gaining 3 stepchildren. They were married almost 16 years and had 3 daughters, Carol and twins Dawn and Denise. The last part of Frank's naval service was spent on ships going to sea during the Vietnam War. He retired after 20 years of service.

The family moved to Mountain Home, where Frank was hired by the Civil Service at Mountain Home Air Force Base. Marvel moved with the girls to Washington in 1979. Frank first worked in the heat plant, then the water plant, where he became Foreman, then later as the Foreman of the Liquid Fuels Department. He retired after 18 years of service winning many awards for his good work. He met and married Bonnie in 1983. They had many happy years while he was working and active at the Base, and also in the El Korah Shrine, the Tin Lizzies and making many trips to different parades. They were also avid Bronco fans and attended many games over the years. Frank retired in the summer of 1992, and they went snow-birding most of the winters living in Arizona and Nevada. They had just returned from Nevada in March of this year.

Frank is survived by his wife Bonnie, three daughters; Carol, Dawn and Denise, step son Randy Clayton, step daughter Becky Clayton, step son David and his wife Cathy Broyles, seven grandchildren, Treana and husband Ryan, Trisha, Jessica, Kristie, Shalia, Rocky and Logan and one great-grandchild Haili. He was preceded in death by his first wife Maggie, his parents, brothers Chuck, Ralph, and Hershel, and his sister Mary.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donation in Frank's memory be made to the Shriners Hospitals for Children, Fairfax Road at Virginia Street, Salt Lake City, UT 84103.