Obituary
Mr. Franklin A Vale died peacefully in Central Florida on Saturday May 11, 2019 at the age of 83 from Alzheimer’s. Mr Vale is survived by his wife, son and daughter as well as 5 grandchildren.
Born on December 1, 1935 in Los Saenz, Texas to Joseph and Maria Vale. He graduated from Pan American University (now known as University of Texas Rio Grande Valley) with a degree in Physical Education & Life Science. He honorably served as a medical corpsman with the US Army and was stationed at the 97th General Hospital in Frankfurt Germany, where he met and later married his wife, a German national who worked as medical translator there. Returning to the US, the newlywed couple served briefly as foster parents for the Protestant Children’s Home in San Antonio, Texas before joining the teaching and coaching staff of Rio Grande City High School in the mid 1960s. A son was born to them in McAllen Texas. After the passing of Hurricane Beulah, he relocated to Odessa, Texas in 1968 and joined the teaching staff at Hood Junior High School where he taught many students in biology, driver’s education, working also as a high school and collegiate level umpire and referee. He then continued education through the University of Texas Permian Basin gaining a Master’s degree in Guidance & counseling which allowed him to transition from classroom teaching to home school coordinator for the Ector County Independent School District. During this time he worked for Odessa College also and a daughter was born. Former students fondly remember him and his children remember him as a kind, patience-driven father who encouraged them to pursue their goals. He returned to Germany in the 1990s working for the Defense Department as a patient liaison coordinator. Upon completion of this contract, he retired to Wisconsin before eventually relocating to Central Florida.
Mr Vale was accomplished in speaking several foreign languages, at tennis and basketball. He was a dedicated individual who loved helping others; enjoyed international travel, food, culture, and was passionate about life and medical science. He was active here and abroad in the community, helping to serve the homeless and was also a lay teacher and church leader serving at a critical time of transition during the 1990s at the Bethel International Baptist Church in Frankfurt Germany.
Condolences can be sent to https://baldwincremation.com/obituaries/franklin-vale/. The family would like to thank Lake Mary Police & Fire Departments as well as Vitas Healthcare for their recent assistive care.
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