Jerry Frankeny

He moved to Texas as a young teen and worked on his family’s cattle ranch in Brazoria County throughout his youth. He was a member of Future Farmers of America and 4H, graduating from West Columbia High School.

After earning a Mechanical Engineering degree from the University of Houston, he joined IBM in Endicott, NY. In 1967, he transferred to IBM in San Jose, California, where he authored numerous patents and received an outstanding contribution award for his work on disc manufacturing at the Silicon

Valley plant. His years in California were filled with rebuilding three Corvette Stingrays, holding season tickets to the Oakland Raiders and getting his master’s degree in engineering at the University of Santa Clara.

In 1972, he moved with his wife (JoAnn Tatum, now of Lufkin) and children to Taylor and joined IBM in Austin, where he authored over a dozen patents and another outstanding contribution award. He conducted joint IBM research with the engineering department at the University of Texas and always considered his job “fun” and never “work.”

He had countless passions. Among them were his love of hunting, teaching gun safety courses to area youth, owning a gun and reloading business and his membership in the Whitewater Social Club.

He created stained glass art and refurbished windows in area churches, among them the First Christian Church and St. Mary’s in Taylor and designs for Wuthrich Hill and Immanuel Lutheran.

Jerry was a firm believer in community engagement and was involved in multiple local nonprofit organizations. For more than 20 years, he was responsible for handling and operating the fireworks on July 4 in Murphy Park.

He was a judge at the Taylor Rattlesnake Roundup for many years and active in Turn Around Taylor. He was named Taylor’s Outstanding Citizen of the Year of the Year in 1997.

He was instrumental in bringing Temple College to Taylor and obtaining computers for the college, where he taught for many years, as well as computers for the Taylor Public Library, St Mary’s Catholic School of Taylor and St. Paul Lutheran School of Thorndale. He was a member of the Taylor Economic Development and the United Way boards and helped found the Taylor Education Enrichment Foundation to support Taylor teachers.

Jerry was the first president of the Taylor Artist’s Guild and helped it obtain nonprofit status. Jerry loved all kinds of music and especially enjoyed his 30-plus years as an usher at the Austin Symphony Orchestra.

After retiring from IBM, Jerry spent time welding, woodworking, creating and teaching stained glass as well as renovating his house on Seventh Street where he was able to secure a Texas Historical marker for the 1860s Doak Home. Later, he moved with his wife Rebecca to their place they called Hummingbird Hill near Beyersville where they enjoyed a serene country life.

For those who knew him, Jerry loved a good debate along with a glass of Scotch or Irish Whiskey — many of those discussions with beloved family and friends. A voracious reader, he loved history and science and even in his last days, continued to watch countless videos on historical events, how things are made and the many wonders of our universe.

Jerry was a speaker at many local organizations including the Lion’s Club and Jaycees. Always the scientist, Jerry donated his body to research, therefore a public memorial service will be held at a later date with details upcoming online, in the Taylor Press and Austin American-Statesman.

He was preceded in death by his brothers Jule and Richard Frankeny and sister, Nancy Ashley. He is survived by his wife, Rebecca Lee of Taylor; daughter Kelly Frankeny, son-in-law Jeff Dellin and granddaughter Lilliana of New York; daughter Frankie Frankeny and son Jeff Frankeny of Austin; step-daughter and son-in-law, Holly and Jose Miranda and their son Angel Alfredo Miranda; sister and brother-in-law, Karen and Steve Warren of Dallas; brother-in-law Dennis Ashley and wife Rosa of Alvin; sister-inlaws, Diana Frankeny of Beaukiss and Orean Frankeny of Lexington and multiple beautiful nieces and nephews.