Frank A. Thiel

FRANK A. THIEL, age 94, passed away on June 20, 2023.  He was born on November 17, 1928.  He was pre-deceased by his German immigrant parents Anton Thiel and Rose Krieger, and his sister Rosemary Zaruches.  He is survived by his wife Mary Sawyer and his five children, Michael (Kathy) Thiel, David Thiel, Linda (Rob Ballweber) Damlich, Kenneth (Kim) Thiel, Amy Bennett, and Mary's daughter Suzanne (Blaine) Black.  He is also survived by 16 grandchildren and 20 great grandchildren.

Frank was born and raised in Chicago, graduated from a military high school, and received his college degree in business.  He served in the US Army, receiving several medals for his combat duty in North Korea in 1952.  He subsequently obtained his Master's Degree in fields of accounting, economics, and financing from DePaul University.  He obtained numerous education certifications including from the Wharton School of Business.

Frank had a successful 40 year business career with several major insurance companies, advancing to Controller, Treasurer, Investment Officer, Vice President and Board of Director positions, and retired from the Alexander Hamilton Life Insurance Companies at the age of 65.  He was a member and officer of a number of business organizations and his expertise in the fields of finance, real estate and investments earned him awards and recognitions in publications such as "Who's Who in Insurance", and "Who's Who in America".

Frank enjoyed many sporting activities throughout his life, including golf, tennis, billiards and ping-pong.  His strongest passion however, was for sailing.  He participated in sailboat races, as well as taking adventurous sailing trips with his sons.  After his retirement, he and Mary took many wonderful trips and cruises to multiple countries.  At age 89, he was awarded an Honor Flight for Veterans to Washington DC., truly one of the highlights of his life.  When not traveling, they divided their time between winters in Florida and summers in Michigan.  He was most happy spending time at their lake cottage on Gun Lake in western Michigan.

He leaves us with many wonderful memories and stories and will be greatly missed by his family and friends.
Donations in Frank's memory can be made to the Honor Flight for Veterans at https://www.honorflight.org/

Services provided by Girrbach Funeral Home, Hastings, Michigan. To leave online condolences visit www.girrbachfuneralhome.net .