Best,

Ford

When I reach out to individuals who are retiring, I never know much about them ahead of time, but hope in our conversation that something I hadn't expected will pop up. Such was the case with Robert Frank when he stopped by my office earlier this week.

After 20 years at Penn State with OPP, Frank is heading to retirement on Feb. 5. During our conversation, Frank, a Refrigeration Technician, kept referring to his "previous life" and I finally asked what he used to do. 

"I was in the Air Force for 20 years working in civil engineering," he said.

My curiosity was piqued!

Frank spent much of his 20 years with the Air Force somewhere around the world. He spent time in the Pacific, including Okinawa, Japan, but he says the highlight of his career was spent in Europe. 

"I was stationed in Berlin," said Frank. "I was there for the unification and got to do both western and eastern Europe. It really was the crowning jewel of my career, a really exciting time."

So how did Frank end up here in Central PA? Despite originally being from the area, Frank said he never gave Penn State much thought until he met Bob Harris about 11 years into his military career. From then on, every time he came home he would come and network. "You could say I 'targeted it' for when I left the military," Frank said.

When Frank first started at Penn State, he ended up on the weekend crew. "It proved to be a blessing in disguise. We had a great crew at the time. There wasn't anything we couldn't handle between all the trades. We all worked together really well."

After seven years, Frank joined the chiller crew and stuck with it. 

One of his more poignant memories took place on a weekend during a holiday break. "We got a call that there was a water leak coming out the door at the MRI. If you've ever seen Niagara Falls during winter when it's frozen, imagine that. The water leak was frozen down the stairwell and coming out the door with more water flowing. It had clearly been running for awhile. It was definitely one of the most spectacular things I think I saw on the job."

Now with just a few days left, Frank is looking forward to his retirement. "I'm excited for more saddle time on the bikes, travel and golf, and not in any particular order." 

Long-term plans for Frank and his wife include traveling the country with a toy hauler, a camper with a garage for their bikes. "We'll park it, unload them and check out the area. We have friends and family scattered all over the states so we have plenty of places to go." 

Regardless of where his travels take him, Frank said he'll look back on his Penn State career with fondness. "I've worked with great people," he said. "A lot of the guys have been really super. That's pretty much what you miss whenever you leave some place...it's the people."