| Francis Leo Ebbitt, Jr. |
| Francis Leo Ebbitt, Jr. |
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| Francis Leo Ebbitt, Jr. was born July 26, 1930 to Francis Leo Ebbitt, Sr. and Minnie Louise (Elliott) Ebbitt in North Braddock, Pennsylvania. His only sister is Catherine (Kay) Ebbitt. Frank's father was a steel worker in Pennsylvania. His mother died when he was 11 years old, and Kay would have a major role in his upbringing from that point on. (She was seven years older.) At the age of 18 in 1949, he married Joyce Combs in Virginia. In the next 12 years they had four children, Marian, Catherine, Timothy and Thomas. At the age of 17, shortly after his father remarried, Frank joined the Air Force. Over the next 22 years his duties would include everything from statistical clerk to supervisor of the motor pool to training instructor. He also did a tour of duty in Vietnam during the war. He received numerous commendations and retired as Master Sergeant in 1969 after 22 years of service. (See Tribute to the Veterans.) During his years of service, the family lived in Japan, Maryland, and San Antonio. In 1979, he and Joyce divorced. Frank worked after retirement from the Air Force in various jobs including self-employment in the transmission business in San Antonio, and as a technical school instructor in Fort Worth. Francis Leo Ebbitt, Jr. died January 11, 2001 in San Antonio, Texas of pancreatic cancer. His wishes were that he be cremated, and his remains scattered across the Texas coastal waters. A memorial headstone will be placed at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery in recognition of his service to his country. |