A Tribute to Rotarian Heather Frankle

HEATHER FRANKLE (1945-2016)

RAGM President Nominee & Secretary Heather Frankle passed away peacefully surrounded by her family on the morning of December 23, 2016, after a four year fight with cancer. She is survived by her husband Nick, her daughter Donna Sartor, son-in-law Joe Sartor, son James, daughter-in-law Jacqui Frankle, sister Barbara Goldstein, and brother Paul Nash. 

The  celebration of Heather’s life will be held Sunday, January 15, 2017, 10:00 AM, at Mount Sinai Memorial Park, 6150 Mount Sinai Road, Simi Valley, CA 93063. 

HEATHER FRANKLE OBITUARY

Heather Nash Frankle, 71, was born in Oak Ridge, TN, the oldest daughter of Murray Nash and Laura Kopeikin Nash, and grew up in the Maryland suburbs of Washington, D.C. She graduated from the University of Maryland, Magna Cum Laude with a BA in Sociology. 

Heather and her high school sweetheart Nick Frankle were married in February 1966. Heather, Nick, and their two children Donna and James, moved to Thousand Oaks, California in 1978 and have been residents there ever since. 

Heather spent her entire life caring for others. She had a long and successful career in senior care beginning as Marketing Director for La Serena Retirement Community in Thousand Oaks and retiring as Executive Director of Sunrise at Simi Hills, an assisted living community that housed 302 beds specifically for those who suffered memory loss due to Alzheimer’s disease. She served as Vice President of Senior Concerns in Thousand Oaks and was a consultant to Santa Paula for an adult day-care program. Heather also served on the Boards of Directors of many Ventura County non-profit organizations serving the senior community. 

Heather joined the Rotary Club of Simi Sunrise in 2007, and immediately became involved in International Service. She had been a member of the District 5240 Grants Committee since 2009, serving as the Matching Grants Committee Chair for 2012-13 and the Global Grants Committee Chair for 2013-14. In 2011-12, she also served as the District 5240 Group Study Exchange Chair and was the district’s Co-Chief Operating Officer for Rotary Year 2014-15. 

Heather led humanitarian grants in many countries, including Honduras, India and Venezuela; and she was a three-time recipient of the Rotary District 5240 Dr. John Padilla Humanitarian of the Year Award. Because of her humanitarian work in Honduras, she was invited by the Honduran Government to be an international observer at their controversial and contested presidential elections in 2009. 

Heather’s fields of expertise were in writing and evaluating grants, training and strategic planning. She specialized in building multi-club and multi-district grants that are complex, innovative, and will span many years before they are closed. 

Heather was an expert in microfinance and economic development in both developing and developed countries. During the Great Recession, as a result of her leadership, The Rotary Foundation approved a grant in the amount of $240,476, which was the first Rotary matching grant for a microcredit loan program in any developed nation. This grant supported the creation or growth of 21 businesses in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties. 

Heather elected to the Board of the Rotarian Action Group for Microfinance and Community Development (RAGM) as its 2015-16 Developed World Microfinance Director. During 2015-16, she was involved in providing advice and assistance to numerous Rotary Clubs interested in developing microfinance projects in the United States, Europe, Canada and New Zealand. As a result, Heather was promoted to the RAGM Executive Committee on July 1, 2016 as its 2016-17 President Nominee & Secretary. 

Many thanks are extended to all of the Rotarians and friends around the world who sent Heather personal good thoughts and prayers and whose energy and support helped her through these difficult times. 

Heather was full of life and enjoyed the opera, live theater, working in her garden, and international travel, but her driving passion was humanitarian service. She will be missed by those who knew her, but most of all Heather will be missed by the thousands of people whose lives were touched by her many humanitarian projects. 

Heather’s husband District 5240 Governor Nick Frankle has promised to help continue her good work in the world. RAGM looks forward to working together with DG Nick to continue the microfinance and economic development work that Heather was involved in through the Rotarian Action Group for Microfinance and Community Development. 

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A special fund has been set up for contributions for the continuation of Heather’s humanitarian work. Donations will be accepted at the Heather Frankle Project Fund, C/O the Simi Sunrise Charitable Foundation, P.O. Box 941101, Simi Valley, CA 93094-

1101.

The Feather of Heather is Truth

When I see a twinkle,

I think of Heather Frankle,

For she was a star,

She was a Rotarian friend,

She held a white feather of truth in her heart,

As she uplifted others and that was what set her apart,

Allowed them to stay under her roof,

For love surrounded her as an aura,

Like a glowing light,

For she was like the wind,

Under your kite,

Supportive and secure.

Our paths crossed,

She was truly supporting peace,

A Skype call with her and Nick,

I felt I met Rotarians with a mission and passion,

Overworked and eager to do more,

They could see the possibilities in peace education,

As I want to SPEAK UP for peace in this world,

I felt a chorus that day of smiling faces,

Reaching out across the world,

As I pulled out my hats of:

Responsibility,

Empathy,

Awareness,

Love,

Honesty,

Oneness,

Peace,

Enjoyment,

Service.

For these are the many virtuous faces of Heather,

Service above self was her foundation,

A Rotary mountain of things to do,

Efficient and sustained by self reliance,

She offered guidance,

So when things went askew,

She was the light on the hill,

She became the safe haven,

Calm and peaceful,

She was my family for a moment in time when all else failed,

She bailed me out and sailed in to sweep me up,

As hospitality and decency is the only boat that floats,

And as I see her now on the horizon,

I see red sails in the sunset,

I feel the rainbow colours setting on a life well lived,

For to love and be loved is the essence of grace,

It is a taste of what the world can become,

When peace and service is a life that gives without taking,

Service above self engraves her motto and creed,

And I will never forget her,

As she gave when I was in desperate need,

And that for me is a friend in-deed.