The Rev. Elizabeth (Beth) Frank

The Rev. Elizabeth (Beth) Frank of Uniontown, passed away on January 21.

She was a professional interim Episcopal minister. In a sermon to a new parish she talked about her life as follows.

A Yiddish proverb says, “Man plans. God laughs.” Beth believed her path to the priesthood provided plenty of material for God and God’s angels at their weekly comedy nights. She graduated from Bexley Hall Seminary and served in five parishes in the Episcopal Diocese of Ohio. Prior to seminary, she was a “legal beagle” serving as an attorney and litigator with the Federal government in Washington, specializing in fair housing and civil rights litigation. Before attending law school in Cleveland, Beth lived in Beijing, where she taught English and in Hong Kong worked as a Chinese business consultant. Beth’s call to ordained ministry also involved another vocational stop: Special Olympics where she coordinated athletes and volunteers. In addition to parish ministries, Beth was involved in global mission. She served as Vice-Chairman of the Standing Commission on World Mission of the national church and has been active in the Diocese of Ohio companion relationship with Belize. She also served as a Trustee of the Diocese of Ohio.

Beth is survived by her father, Paul A. Frank, Jr. and uncle John V. Frank of Akron; brother Paul A. Frank III, sister-in-law Lucinda and their children, Gwen and Paul IV of Pennington, New Jersey; and uncle Dr. Edmund Frank, his wife Dr. Jo Su of Portland, Oregon, and their daughter Valerie of San Francisco.

A memorial service and communion will be at Trinity Cathedral in Cleveland on Saturday, February 5, at 11:00 AM.

Services in care of The Billow Funeral Homes and Crematory, Fairlawn Chapel, 85 N. Miller Road, Akron, OH  44333