Frank S. Jennings III, known to family and friends as Sandy, died on Monday, May 26, 2014, at home in Kansas City after a long illness. He was 81 years old. A native of Independence, he was born June 30, 1932 to (the late) Frank and Louise Jennings. Visitation will be from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. Saturday, May 31, 2014, immediately preceding the funeral service at the Community of Christ Stone Church, 1012 W. Lexington Ave., Independence. Burial will be in Mound Grove Cemetery, 1818 N. River Blvd.
In lieu of flowers, contributions are suggested to the Spencer Museum of Art at the University of Kansas, 1301 Mississippi St., Lawrence, KS., 66045, and to the Experimental Aircraft Association Aviation Center, P.O. Box 3816, Oshkosh, WI., 54903-3816.
"Sandy always struck me as debonair in all things, whether in stylish dress and choice of Lincoln cars or in the effervescent graciousness he extended to newly met and old friends alike. If you knew Sandy, he became your friend," said Marc Wilson, retired director of the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art.
A long-time resident of the Rockhill neighborhood, Sandy was a close friend of Marc Wilson and his wife, Elizabeth.
As a teenager, Sandy attended three summer courses of the naval program at the Culver Military Academy in Indiana, graduating as one of the top students in sailing competition. In 1950 he graduated from William Chrisman High School in Independence and in 1954 from the University of Kansas, where he received a bachelor's degree in Fine Arts and joined Phi Delta Theta Fraternity and the Air Force ROTC program.
He had a love of flying, took lessons at the old Downtown Municipal Airport, earned his pilot's license and bought a single engine plane which he flew on cross-country trips.
He was a long-time member of the Experimental Aircraft Association and designed a gear system for helicopters for which he obtained 13 patents.
An entrepreneur with many interests, Sandy previously owned Foremost Records in Kansas City, and worked in New York for Celebrity Services that linked high profile personalities, including Jack and Jackie Kennedy, with civic and social events. As a real estate developer, he owned several properties in midtown Kansas City; served as president of the Main Street Corridor Development Corp. (MainCor); designed a home in Cuernavaca, Mexico, where he spent many winters, and while traveling in South America experimented in housing construction with wood bricks.
Travel and his interest in art took him to Europe many times. On one occasion he was invited to the Easter Sunday service at St. Peter's in Rome. He was to sit near the front where white tie and tails were required. Somehow his mother knew he might need them and mailed them from Kansas City just in time for the service.
Charming, affable and outgoing, Sandy developed friendships around the globe, but was devoted to Kansas City and to midtown, where he made his permanent home after moving from Independence. Known for his good looks and unassuming manner, he will be missed for his warmth and easy smile. He was a kind and gentle man.
Survivors include his sister, Virginia Jennings Nadeau; his companion of 44 years, Myrna Dean; Myrna's children, Lori Dean, Linda Dean Kennedy, her husband Jim Kennedy, and her children, Jacob and Stephanie, Dr. Melanie Dean, her husband, Dr. Patrick Handley, and children Lauren and Shea, Lester Dean and daughter, Spencer, Paul Dean and his children Jeremiah Dean and his daughter Bella, and Keena and A.J. Dean; Cousins Fred and Lillian Six; Dr. Christopher Hersh and Carolyn, their children, Demie and Karre; Dr. Jenny Hersh and her daughter, Addie; Steven and Betsy Six and their children, Emily, Sam, Henry and Will, and Katherine Sallerson and her husband, Peter. Online condolences may be expressed at www.speakschapel.com (Arrangements: Speaks Suburban Chapel (816) 373-3600)