Frank Carl Knaack, Lt. Colonel, USAF (Retired)
June 12, 1933 – April 02, 2015

Knaack, Frank C. 81, of Phoenix passed away on April 2, 2015. Frank was born June 1933, in Baltimore, MD, to Franz K. Knaack from Holland and Paula Wiest Knaack from Switzerland.

He was raised in Baltimore, graduating from Baltimore City College. After attending the University of Arizona, he entered the U.S. Air Force pilot training program. In his USAF career, he attained the rank of Lt. Colonel, flying a variety of helicopters and multi-engine bombers. His overseas assignments were in Korea, Germany, the U.S. Embassy in Guatemala, and Vietnam.

Following his Air Force career, he moved back to Arizona where he completed graduate degrees at both the University of Arizona and Northern Arizona University. Subsequently, he went back into government service as the director of Curriculum and Instruction at the U.S. Navy’s Civil Engineer School, in Oxnard, CA. After 15 years, he retired and moved back to Phoenix.

Frank was preceded in death by his wife, Anne McCleneghan Knaack, in May 2012, and his son Frank in 1980. He is survived by his sons Paul Knaack of Sedona, Michael Messick of Cottonwood, and Robert Messick of California; as well as Anne’s daughter Linda Kephart Flynn (Mike) of Overland Park, KS., and Anne’s son Gary Kephart (Sue) of Reno NV., and several grandchildren.

A celebration of Frank’s life will be held at Mission Bell United Methodist Church on June 12. He will be buried near his dear wife, Anne, in Tucson.

Published in The Arizona Republic on Apr. 12, 2015