Introduction

Francis (Frank) is Charlie’s father and Ruth’s ex-husband, we became friends through these family ties. Frank was brought up in a religious family setting, where some family feelings were sometimes difficult to express. The religious family context didn’t inhibit Frank, he was husband to two lovely, intelligent women. Perhaps even stronger, he was an outrageously special father to four boys, who all worshipped him.

Here’s a celebration of Frank from his loving family of Brigette, Charlie, Reuben, Evan and Theo.

Frank Lived his Life to the Full

I didn’t know Frank especially well, but one moment in his company and it was bleedingly obvious – here was a special man. It was in the early days of my being discharged from the hospital and beginning my fragile recovery, when Ruth took me to a youth team football match with Olivia to watch Charlie play. Frank was pitch-side; he glanced towards me, then came over and gave me the biggest of bear hugs, with utter conviction. Nobody before or since had ever done anything like that to me, it was so powerfully motivational I was shaking. You have to consider the context, I was his ex-wife’s partner, but did that inhibit him? No! What a bloody great man he is. Nobody who met Frank forgot him – ever.

  • Frank embarked on his Ironman triathlete journey aged 45+. There was no dithering about wanting to be an Ironman, expressed bluntly – he was going to be an Ironman
  • Frank lived his life in denial of any degree of reverence, but he also respected authority and brought his children up to respect people in the way they’d want themselves to be respected
  • Frank had his fourth child when in his late forties, it didn’t slow him down one tiny bit
  • Frank’s real name (Francis) is shared with that of my auntie Frances – so to me it was always a girl’s name
  • Frank became a Nite Rider – they couldn’t spell the name properly and the blokes all wore pink uniforms

Frank’s non-conformist spirit is evident in his children. Despite not having done any training for it, his first son Charlie was inspired to be an Ironman, just like his dad. Any reader who’s trawled through much of this web site would know how I feel about Charlie – he’s like his father, an outstanding man.

My daughter Olivia summed up Frank’s personality perfectly when she said to me “Dad, Frank is like Phil Dunphy (from Modern Family) isn’t he?”

In a nutshell, Frank is an Ironman in our hearts – forever.

“To be Frank” – by Best Friend Keith Gibbs

He actually preferred Francis; I know that because I asked him once and he told me. Funnily enough I generally only called him Frank when he’d wound me up in some way. So quite often really! However, he was my dear friend and the times we had, and we had some great times, will be permanently etched in my memory. I could write a sitcom from most of them!

Francis touched many people. He inspired, encouraged and enriched many of their lives. A natural born father to his four boys and loving husband.

When I think about Francis, I think in the same terms I would a brother, he wasn’t always the easiest friend to have, but neither of us found easy that interesting, as he proved in all his pursuits. That piece of junk MG Midget he bought, despite my best advice, was no exception, believe me! Young Hamletts? Should you ever need sound motoring advice, I’m here!

As can be seen in the pictures, “Laurel and Hardy” Myself and Francis 20 years plus ago, and more recently Frank the triathlete giving it all in competition, Francis’s life was, in every sense of the phrase, very much a “game of two halves”. Sadly in that second half, someone read their stopwatch wrong and called time way too early, for my liking.

I will focus my thoughts on all we had done together, and be very grateful for that.

Keith, or Mr Gibbs, as he would say.

Anecdote

On 19th August 2018, Charlie took on his dad’s registration for the Dun Laoghaire 70.3 Ironman event near Dublin in Ireland.

Supported (noisily) by Ruth, Brigette, Theo, Evan, Reuben, Jean, Horst and myself – Charlie became an Ironman. YouTube videos of Charlie’s ironman escapades during 2018 in Dun Laoghaire.