FRANK, MARGARET BARSON; passed away on May 29, 2013, in Tucson, Arizona, and made her journey to heaven. She was preceded in death by her father, John Barson; mother, Anna Sin; brother, John Barson and his wife, Eleonora; brother-in-law, William E. Frank and his wife, Trudy; and brother-in-law, Zigmund Niparko. Margaret is survived by her husband, John Garwood Frank; sister, Anne Niparko; four children, Dr. Suzanne Frank, John E. Frank, Patricia Yagerlener (Mark), and William N. Frank (April); three grandchildren, Anna Marie Morrow and John Peter and Dorothea Margaret Yagerlener; four nieces, including Barbara (Frank) Rogers; five nephews; as well as many other family members and friends who loved her dearly and miss her deeply. Born February 3, 1926, near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Margaret graduated from Fordson High School in Dearborn, Michigan, at age sixteen. She worked as a "soda jerk" at her parents' soda bar. In 1946, Margaret became one of the first women to graduate from the University of Michigan in Chemical Engineering. Beginning in 1946, she was employed by the Parke-Davis laboratory as a chemical engineer, where she manufactured the first commercially available batches of Benadryl and an anti-malarial drug used during the Korean War. Margaret was frequently profiled in local Detroit newspapers of the day due to her unique status as a woman chemical engineer. In 1952, she helped organize the Detroit section of the Society of Women Engineers and used her press notoriety to encourage young women to consider entering the study of engineering. On July 1, 1950, Margaret married John Frank, some 63 years ago. She insisted that he graduate college before marriage and he met the requirement of a degree in Chemical Engineering in June of 1950. When the Parke-Davis laboratory moved to Holland, Michigan, in 1953, Margaret reluctantly gave up her employment. Later, she obtained a Master of Arts from Eastern Michigan University and became a certified teacher in 1973. Margaret taught mathematics for nearly 20 in the Taylor School District, spending much of her career at Truman High School. Margaret was a Girl Scout leader for five years and a Cub Scout Den Mother. A founding member of Church of the Apostles in Tucson, Arizona, Margaret served in the vestry for three years and as a financial counter. Margaret also was involved with the Society of Women Engineers, Alpha Delta Kappa Educational Scholarship, and the Michigan Association of Retired School Personnel, and was an American Association of University Women life member. A Memorial Service will be held at the Church of the Apostles, Oro Valley, Arizona, on June 29, 2013 at 2 p.m. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Women in Science and Engineering Program, University of Michigan/ 1140 Undergraduate Science Building (USB)/ 204 Washtenaw/ Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2215, or to the Educational Opportunities Fund (#4336) of to the American Association of University Women/ 1111 16th Street NW/ Washington, DC 20036.
Published in Heritage on June 23, 2013