Obituary of John Francis Myers, Jr.
J. Frank Myers, 77 years old, passed away on December 17, 2018, after a lengthy and courageous battle with cancer. He was born in Utica, New York, to the late J. Frank and Marion Myers.
Frank was a veteran of both the U.S. Army and U.S. Navy, serving in the early 1960s and later on in the Reserves of both forces. He was a volunteer fireman for most of his adult life, initially in Frankfort, N.Y., and for fifty years in Henrietta, rising through the ranks successively to Battalion Chief, Chief, Commissioner, and Chair of Commissioners. His heart lay in the Genesee Valley Fire Department but he is fondly remembered as an advocate for unity across the companies of the Henrietta District and his stewardship of the transition to a blended service of career and volunteer responders. He was an avid fisherman, photographer, woodworker, and model railroader. These often intersected so that fishing holes and their surroundings became the subject of photographs; model railroad structures were designed and hand-crafted through his wood working skills. Drawing from his military service, he was an armchair historian of World War II. A man who startled his children with the ability to cook an egg sandwich in their childhood, he evolved into an adventurous cook and griller who approach both with joy. He was “Uncle Frank” to the children of his close friends and long-term neighbors, Tim and Susan Shelhart. He was a beloved son to his late mother-in-law, Marilyn Hamm, and she was his second mother. He was equally close to his father-in-law, Ted Hamm, with whom he shared a love of photography and construction projects. He was a model of honor, integrity, and decency to those who knew him.
The family expresses their deep appreciation to the medical and support teams at Pluta Cancer Center and Lifetime Care over the past decade, and in particular to the staff of the Hildebrandt Hospice Care Center who cared for him in the final hours of his life.
He is survived by his dedicated wife of thirty-five years, Diane Myers, his two children by previous marriage John Frank Myers IV and Heather Myers, his sister Marion Ball, his sisters-in-law Donna Albert and Beverly Wilkshire, several nephews, and the loving extended family of his in-laws.
Services and reception will be at St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church, 28 Lincoln Ave., Pittsford, NY 14534 at 11:00 am, Saturday, December 22, 2018.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to Genesee Valley Fire Department, 9 Riverview Drive, Rochester, NY 14623.
