Franklin E. Weimer

Franklin E. Weimer, Colonel, United States Air Force, Retired, was born on February 21, 1923, in Taft, California, to Walter and Vena Weimer; he died on Monday evening, February 6, 2012.

On February 13, 1943, Frank married his high school sweetheart, Evelyn Katherine Richina, in Santa Ana, California. They celebrated 63 years of marriage until Evelyn's death in September of 2005.

Frank grew up in Modesto and Valley Home, California. His adventuring life began with the Army Air Corps as a bomber pilot in 1943. He fought in World War II as a Flying Tiger in China, Burma and India, where he flew 50 bombing missions as a B-25 pilot and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross by General Claire Lee Chennault. He stayed on in the reserves but was recalled during the Korean War in 1951. Evelyn preferred the Air Force life to farming, so they stayed in the service after Korea. While stationed on Guam, Frank travelled extensively in the Far East, and in 1955 he was made an honorary member of the Royal Thai Air Force for landing his four-engine plane in a storm on two engines with a brigadier general on board.

Frank's military duties gave him and Evelyn the opportunity to live all over the United States. While stationed in Washington D.C., Frank advised the military Joint Chiefs of Staff on weapons policy. They also lived in England, where Frank graduated from the Royal Air Force College of Air Warfare and stayed on to lecture on the US space program. When he retired in 1972, they moved to Overland Park, where Frank was a home-builder, a commercial and residential realtor, Executive Director of the Lenexa Chamber of Commerce, and served three terms in the Kansas State legislature. They moved to Lakeview Village in 2004. Frank participated in fundraising projects at Lakeview and served on the Board of Directors.

Frank is survived by two sons John F. Weimer and companion Debbie Elder, Richard P. Weimer and wife Pam, daughter Katherine A. Mingucci and husband Bruce; four grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.

A visitation will be held from 2:00-4:00 p.m., Sunday, February 12, 2012, at the Amos Family Funeral Home and Crematory. The funeral service will be at 10:00 a.m., Monday, February 13, 2012, also at the funeral home. Burial will follow in Lenexa Cemetery, Lenexa, Kansas.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial contributions to Lakeview Foundation, 9100 Park Street, Lenexa, Kansas 66215.