MARKESS FRANK J. Of Beaver Falls, PA, passed away peacefully, surrounded by his daughters and loving family, Sunday, March 1, 2015. He was 92. Beloved father of Patricia (Lawrence) Alwine and Valerie M. Oltmanns; grandfather of Scott (Heather) Alwine, Jeffrey (Kelly) Alwine, Alexander Oltmanns and Katherine Oltmanns; and great-grandfather of Brandon, Zachary, Jake and Ryan Alwine. Frank was preceded in death by his beloved wife of 58 years, Catherine Kay (Stanko) whom he married on November 15, 1947. Born on May 11, 1922, in East Rochester, PA, Frank was the son of the late Nicklaus and Theresa (Jurcic) Markess; and was also preceded in death by his two brothers, Steve and Thomas. Frank served as a Sergeant of the 104 Div. 314 Troop Carrier Group of the U.S. Army in World War II, seeing active combat in the War's European theater and receiving both a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star, among other honors and citations for his service. Throughout a 36-year career with State Farm Insurance, Frank received numerous honors and awards. He was the #1 agent in total production in the state of Pennsylvania in 20 of his first 25 years as a State Farm agent. He qualified for State Farm's prestigious President's Club, State Farm's highest honor in recognition of the top 50 agents of the 17,000 State Farm agents in the United States, 34 distinct times over the course of his career. At the time of his retirement from State Farm in 1990, Frank had received the President's Club distinction more than any other agent in the United States. Frank also served as a mentor to numerous State Farm agents and was a frequent speaker and presenter at various State Farm meetings and conventions. Frank was a lifelong, active member of St. Philomena Catholic Church (now St. Monica Parish, College Hill site) and one of its founding members. His devotion to and love for his wife, Kay, was legendary, as they shared a remarkable love that evidenced itself in their joyful, loving devotion to each other as well as in the loving family that they created. Frank was a devoted father who loved his two daughters very much and took great pride in them, and that deep love and pride extended to his four grandchildren and four great-grandchildren, whose company he delighted in. Friends will be received Sunday, March 8, 2015, and Monday, March 9, 2015, from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. in the SAUL - GABAUER FUNERAL HOME, INC., 273 Route 68, Rochester, PA 15074 (adjacent to Sylvania Hills Memorial Park Mausoleum). Morning prayers at the funeral home will be offered at 9 a.m. Tuesday, March 10, 2015, with a Mass of Christian Burial celebrated 10 a.m. at St. Monica Parish (College Hill site), 3908 Sixth Avenue, Beaver Falls, PA 15010. Entombment will follow in Sylvania Hills Memorial Park Mausoleum. Military honors will be presented Tuesday, March 10, 2015, by the Beaver County Special Unit at the Mausoleum. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in Frank's name to Alzheimer's Disease Research, 22512 Gateway Center Drive, Clarksburg, MD 20871 or to McGuire Memorial, 2119 Mercer Road, New Brighton, PA 15066. Online condolences may be offered at: www.saul-gabauer.com Send condolences post-gazette.com/gb
