Frank Willis Ayers was born in Belmont County, Ohio on September 11, 1920, the 2nd of 4 children (others being John Dallas, Edith Martha and Frederick Douglas) of Frederick Philander Ayers and Ethel Golden (Hardesty) Ayers.
Virtually all his ancestors were "Old Americans," with deep roots in Colonial Maryland, Virginia and Pennsylvania. Almost all his ancestors had arrived in either Belmont or Guernsey County (in an area later incorporated into Noble County) by the mid-1820's and some as early as 1810 or 1811. Through his father's grandmother Nancy (Eagon) Ayers, Frank was directly descended from 3 men who served in the Patriot Army during the Revolutionary War.
Frank's parents moved their family (then consisting of him, John and Edith) to Marietta, Washington County, Ohio by about the mid-1920's. His father Fred worked most his life for Marietta Concrete, building concrete farm silos (though at times in sales for that company). In fact, in 1940 Frank and his older brother John were both working with his father building silos. His childhood was marked by financial struggle, sometimes even poverty, including events such as the Great Depression and the flooding of the Ohio River they lived along. Both Frank's parents only had an 8th grade education.
Frank graduated from Marietta High School in 1938. World War II found Frank in Naval Intelligence work as an enlisted man. He served in both Hawaii and the naval yards in Anacostia D.C.. Following the war he enrolled in the University of Richmond but left it when asked to work for what ultimately became the Central Intelligence Agency. He was to finish out a career there in their covert services, retiring in about 1971.
He married Virginia Mae Olk, who had also served in Naval Intelligence (WAVES) during WW II, on May 24, 1947. They established a residence in the Chillum, Avondale area of West Hyattsville, Prince George's County, Maryland. They later (1963) moved to the Kemp Mill neighborhood near Wheaton, in Silver Spring, Montgomery County, Maryland. Together they had 7 children, 4 boys and 3 girls, all alive as of this writing.
Given his CIA job, while maintaining residence at one of these two homes in the Maryland suburbs of Washington, D.C., they also lived in Japan, Athens (Greece) and Frankfurt (Germany); for 3 years each in the last two assignments.
After retiring from the CIA Frank obtained his real estate broker's license and sold real estate, eventually rising to a VP of Sales position with one of Washington's top real estate companies. This second career proved very lucrative.
With his wife stricken with cancer, Frank moved to a smaller home in Lusby, Calvert, Maryland in 2000 near an area he had maintained a vacation home for years and at one time sold land on weekends while still employed with the government (Chesapeake Bay Ranch Club). However, his wife died in December of that year and then he, having been discovered in May 2001 to have extensive and un-treatable cancer himself, died at home on May 31, 2001. The last years of his life were spent in unswerving devotion to and care of his wife Ginny, which led him to ignore his own symptoms so he could care for her.
Frank Ayers was a man of deep integrity and solid practical wisdom. He was an excellent judge of people. A natural athlete, he earned trophies in bowling, tennis and golf, the latter of which he especially loved. He also loved cars, and kept his own impeccably.
His wife being Roman Catholic Frank is buried by her side at Saint John Vianney Catholic Cemetery, Prince Frederick, Maryland. He himself was raised Protestant, did not hold deep religious beliefs, and never converted to Roman Catholicism.
Virtually all his ancestors were "Old Americans," with deep roots in Colonial Maryland, Virginia and Pennsylvania. Almost all his ancestors had arrived in either Belmont or Guernsey County (in an area later incorporated into Noble County) by the mid-1820's and some as early as 1810 or 1811. Through his father's grandmother Nancy (Eagon) Ayers, Frank was directly descended from 3 men who served in the Patriot Army during the Revolutionary War.
Frank's parents moved their family (then consisting of him, John and Edith) to Marietta, Washington County, Ohio by about the mid-1920's. His father Fred worked most his life for Marietta Concrete, building concrete farm silos (though at times in sales for that company). In fact, in 1940 Frank and his older brother John were both working with his father building silos. His childhood was marked by financial struggle, sometimes even poverty, including events such as the Great Depression and the flooding of the Ohio River they lived along. Both Frank's parents only had an 8th grade education.
Frank graduated from Marietta High School in 1938. World War II found Frank in Naval Intelligence work as an enlisted man. He served in both Hawaii and the naval yards in Anacostia D.C.. Following the war he enrolled in the University of Richmond but left it when asked to work for what ultimately became the Central Intelligence Agency. He was to finish out a career there in their covert services, retiring in about 1971.
He married Virginia Mae Olk, who had also served in Naval Intelligence (WAVES) during WW II, on May 24, 1947. They established a residence in the Chillum, Avondale area of West Hyattsville, Prince George's County, Maryland. They later (1963) moved to the Kemp Mill neighborhood near Wheaton, in Silver Spring, Montgomery County, Maryland. Together they had 7 children, 4 boys and 3 girls, all alive as of this writing.
Given his CIA job, while maintaining residence at one of these two homes in the Maryland suburbs of Washington, D.C., they also lived in Japan, Athens (Greece) and Frankfurt (Germany); for 3 years each in the last two assignments.
After retiring from the CIA Frank obtained his real estate broker's license and sold real estate, eventually rising to a VP of Sales position with one of Washington's top real estate companies. This second career proved very lucrative.
With his wife stricken with cancer, Frank moved to a smaller home in Lusby, Calvert, Maryland in 2000 near an area he had maintained a vacation home for years and at one time sold land on weekends while still employed with the government (Chesapeake Bay Ranch Club). However, his wife died in December of that year and then he, having been discovered in May 2001 to have extensive and un-treatable cancer himself, died at home on May 31, 2001. The last years of his life were spent in unswerving devotion to and care of his wife Ginny, which led him to ignore his own symptoms so he could care for her.
Frank Ayers was a man of deep integrity and solid practical wisdom. He was an excellent judge of people. A natural athlete, he earned trophies in bowling, tennis and golf, the latter of which he especially loved. He also loved cars, and kept his own impeccably.
His wife being Roman Catholic Frank is buried by her side at Saint John Vianney Catholic Cemetery, Prince Frederick, Maryland. He himself was raised Protestant, did not hold deep religious beliefs, and never converted to Roman Catholicism.
Frank Willis Ayers was born in Belmont County, Ohio on September 11, 1920, the 2nd of 4 children (others being John Dallas, Edith Martha and Frederick Douglas) of Frederick Philander Ayers and Ethel Golden (Hardesty) Ayers.
Virtually all his ancestors were "Old Americans," with deep roots in Colonial Maryland, Virginia and Pennsylvania. Almost all his ancestors had arrived in either Belmont or Guernsey County (in an area later incorporated into Noble County) by the mid-1820's and some as early as 1810 or 1811. Through his father's grandmother Nancy (Eagon) Ayers, Frank was directly descended from 3 men who served in the Patriot Army during the Revolutionary War.
Frank's parents moved their family (then consisting of him, John and Edith) to Marietta, Washington County, Ohio by about the mid-1920's. His father Fred worked most his life for Marietta Concrete, building concrete farm silos (though at times in sales for that company). In fact, in 1940 Frank and his older brother John were both working with his father building silos. His childhood was marked by financial struggle, sometimes even poverty, including events such as the Great Depression and the flooding of the Ohio River they lived along. Both Frank's parents only had an 8th grade education.
Frank graduated from Marietta High School in 1938. World War II found Frank in Naval Intelligence work as an enlisted man. He served in both Hawaii and the naval yards in Anacostia D.C.. Following the war he enrolled in the University of Richmond but left it when asked to work for what ultimately became the Central Intelligence Agency. He was to finish out a career there in their covert services, retiring in about 1971.
He married Virginia Mae Olk, who had also served in Naval Intelligence (WAVES) during WW II, on May 24, 1947. They established a residence in the Chillum, Avondale area of West Hyattsville, Prince George's County, Maryland. They later (1963) moved to the Kemp Mill neighborhood near Wheaton, in Silver Spring, Montgomery County, Maryland. Together they had 7 children, 4 boys and 3 girls, all alive as of this writing.
Given his CIA job, while maintaining residence at one of these two homes in the Maryland suburbs of Washington, D.C., they also lived in Japan, Athens (Greece) and Frankfurt (Germany); for 3 years each in the last two assignments.
After retiring from the CIA Frank obtained his real estate broker's license and sold real estate, eventually rising to a VP of Sales position with one of Washington's top real estate companies. This second career proved very lucrative.
With his wife stricken with cancer, Frank moved to a smaller home in Lusby, Calvert, Maryland in 2000 near an area he had maintained a vacation home for years and at one time sold land on weekends while still employed with the government (Chesapeake Bay Ranch Club). However, his wife died in December of that year and then he, having been discovered in May 2001 to have extensive and un-treatable cancer himself, died at home on May 31, 2001. The last years of his life were spent in unswerving devotion to and care of his wife Ginny, which led him to ignore his own symptoms so he could care for her.
Frank Ayers was a man of deep integrity and solid practical wisdom. He was an excellent judge of people. A natural athlete, he earned trophies in bowling, tennis and golf, the latter of which he especially loved. He also loved cars, and kept his own impeccably.
His wife being Roman Catholic Frank is buried by her side at Saint John Vianney Catholic Cemetery, Prince Frederick, Maryland. He himself was raised Protestant, did not hold deep religious beliefs, and never converted to Roman Catholicism.
Virtually all his ancestors were "Old Americans," with deep roots in Colonial Maryland, Virginia and Pennsylvania. Almost all his ancestors had arrived in either Belmont or Guernsey County (in an area later incorporated into Noble County) by the mid-1820's and some as early as 1810 or 1811. Through his father's grandmother Nancy (Eagon) Ayers, Frank was directly descended from 3 men who served in the Patriot Army during the Revolutionary War.
Frank's parents moved their family (then consisting of him, John and Edith) to Marietta, Washington County, Ohio by about the mid-1920's. His father Fred worked most his life for Marietta Concrete, building concrete farm silos (though at times in sales for that company). In fact, in 1940 Frank and his older brother John were both working with his father building silos. His childhood was marked by financial struggle, sometimes even poverty, including events such as the Great Depression and the flooding of the Ohio River they lived along. Both Frank's parents only had an 8th grade education.
Frank graduated from Marietta High School in 1938. World War II found Frank in Naval Intelligence work as an enlisted man. He served in both Hawaii and the naval yards in Anacostia D.C.. Following the war he enrolled in the University of Richmond but left it when asked to work for what ultimately became the Central Intelligence Agency. He was to finish out a career there in their covert services, retiring in about 1971.
He married Virginia Mae Olk, who had also served in Naval Intelligence (WAVES) during WW II, on May 24, 1947. They established a residence in the Chillum, Avondale area of West Hyattsville, Prince George's County, Maryland. They later (1963) moved to the Kemp Mill neighborhood near Wheaton, in Silver Spring, Montgomery County, Maryland. Together they had 7 children, 4 boys and 3 girls, all alive as of this writing.
Given his CIA job, while maintaining residence at one of these two homes in the Maryland suburbs of Washington, D.C., they also lived in Japan, Athens (Greece) and Frankfurt (Germany); for 3 years each in the last two assignments.
After retiring from the CIA Frank obtained his real estate broker's license and sold real estate, eventually rising to a VP of Sales position with one of Washington's top real estate companies. This second career proved very lucrative.
With his wife stricken with cancer, Frank moved to a smaller home in Lusby, Calvert, Maryland in 2000 near an area he had maintained a vacation home for years and at one time sold land on weekends while still employed with the government (Chesapeake Bay Ranch Club). However, his wife died in December of that year and then he, having been discovered in May 2001 to have extensive and un-treatable cancer himself, died at home on May 31, 2001. The last years of his life were spent in unswerving devotion to and care of his wife Ginny, which led him to ignore his own symptoms so he could care for her.
Frank Ayers was a man of deep integrity and solid practical wisdom. He was an excellent judge of people. A natural athlete, he earned trophies in bowling, tennis and golf, the latter of which he especially loved. He also loved cars, and kept his own impeccably.
His wife being Roman Catholic Frank is buried by her side at Saint John Vianney Catholic Cemetery, Prince Frederick, Maryland. He himself was raised Protestant, did not hold deep religious beliefs, and never converted to Roman Catholicism.
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