Frank Anthony Lukasik

Frank Anthony Lukasik, 87, of The Villages, Florida, passed away, Monday, October 23, 2017, at his residence, Sumter Place. He was born January 21, 1930, in Binghamton, NY. He attended Johnson City High School, worked in the Endicott Johnson shoe factory and joined the Navy in 1948. As an Aviation Electronicsman 2nd Class, he was assigned to Composite Squadron 12, at Quonset Point, RI. During his Navy duty, he was temporarily assigned to seven different aircraft carriers and made two five month Mediterranean Sea cruises, the first on the USS Coral Sea and the second on the USS Franklin D. Roosevelt. After discharge, he married Wanda Carolyn Milosh, and attended the Rhode Island School of Design under the GI Bill, where he received his Bachelor of Science in Machine Design. After a short time with IBM, he moved to Alexandria, VA, where he worked in Washington, D.C., as a Patent Examiner, while attending night law school at the George Washington University Law School, in Washington, D.C., where he received his Juris Doctor degree. After being admitted to the Virginia Bar, he was transferred to the Office of Naval Research, London, England, where he worked for two years. During that time he represented the United States at a NATO Working Group on Intellectual Property, which met at NATO Headquarters, in Paris, France. In 1966, he and Wanda drove to Budapest, Hungary, and attended the first East/West Patent Symposium. The following year, they drove to Prague and Warsaw, and flew to Moscow to study the Socialist Patent Systems. He then wrote the first paper describing the Socialist Patent Systems. He was awarded a "Cold War" Certificate, signed by Donald Rumsfeld, for his four official trips behind the Iron Curtain, from 1965-1967. His last government position was as Chief Patent Counsel, HQ, Air Force Systems Command, Andrews AFB, where he retired in 1987. During his employment by the Air Force, he was awarded the civilian, Bronze, Silver and Gold Medals. He was a member of the Virginia Bar, the U.S. Supreme Court Bar, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Bar, and the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals Bar. Since moving to Punta Gorda in 1988, Frank had been active in the Punta Gorda Kiwanis Club, the Punta Gorda Business Alliance, the Chamber of Commerce, the Fifth Saturday Anomalist's Club, and the Charlotte County Curmudgeon Club. He also founded and chartered the Florida Military Heritage Museum, at Fishermen's Village, and was a founding member of the Edison Inventors Association in Fort Myers. He was a frequent contributor to the letter to the Editor and to the Curmudgeon Corner of the Charlotte Sun. He was a member of the Sacred Heart Church, American Legion Post 110, the Twin Isles Country Club and the Isles Yacht Club. After hurricane Charley, in August 2004, Frank and Wanda moved to The Villages, Florida, where they loved to play golf and dance, and were active members of the Polka Lovers Club. They were also members of St. Timothy's Catholic Church. Their final residence was in Sumter Place Assisted Living. Frank shared his love of aviation with the residents and visitors of The Villages, but especially with his family, and his "family" at Sumter Place assisted living. He first had the idea for the now-patented design decades ago when he worked as a patent attorney for the U.S. Air Force. While there, he witnessed the development of Stealth aircraft, which are less visible to radar. He then made his own folded paper version of the F-117, custom decorated with pictures and details, and created his website, Stealth Origami. He especially loved to share his airplanes with everyone! Wanda recently passed away this past Memorial Day, May 29, 2017, and Frank missed her every minute of every day. They are now together again, dancing a polka amongst the stars. Frank is survived by his brother, Joseph Lukasik and his wife, Marie, of Johnson City, NY; his daughter, Sheryl Lukasik Bass and her husband, Robert, of Manassas, VA, and their daughter, Jessica Bosworth, her husband, Matt and daughter, Carolyn; daughter, Kimberly Chonko and her husband, Tim. Frank is also survived by his son, Frank Joseph Lukasik and his wife, Marin, of Longwood, FL, and sons, Dillon and Tim. He is also survived by many cousins, nieces, nephews and dear friends. ServiceA Mass of Christian Burial will be held at St. Timothy Catholic Church on Friday November 10, 2017 at 8:30 am. Memorial DonationsIn lieu of flowers memorial donations may be made in his name to: Military Heritage & Aviation Museum, 1200 West Retta Esplanade Unit 48, Punta Gorda, FL 33950. Arrangements entrusted to Beyers Funeral Home and Crematory, Lady Lake, FL Online condolences may be left at www.BeyersFuneralHome.com

Frank Anthony Lukasik

January 21, 1930 - October 23, 2017