Frank Lyman

Frank Trenholm Lyman III, 46, of Austin, Texas, loving and beloved husband, father, son, brother, and son-in-law, died early Saturday morning, June 21, 2014, as a result of injuries sustained in an automobile accident on the outskirts of Austin. A vehicle traveling on the wrong side of the road hit the Lyman family's vehicle head-on. The two other passengers, Frank's wife and youngest daughter, survived the crash.

Born June 11, 1968, in Boston, Massachusetts, Frank moved to Columbia, Maryland, at the tender age of six weeks with his parents and older sister. Following his childhood in Columbia and graduation from Centennial High School in Ellicott City, Maryland, he attended Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, from which he received a B.A. cum laude in English in 1990.

After graduation Frank began work in publishing, excelling in sales and marketing roles with Prentice Hall both in the Washington, D.C., area and in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey. In 1995, he returned to school, receiving an M.B.A. from the Darden Graduate School of Business at the University of Virginia in 1997. He spent the next year working for Procter & Gamble in Cincinnati, Ohio, as an assistant brand manager on the Cheer account.

Frank was the fourth employee and vice president of marketing of Herndon, Virginia-based LifeMinders, the first e-mail marketing company, from 1998 to 1999. He then entered an association with John Wiley & Sons through 2007, working as vice president of new media development in New York general manager of Wiley Canada, and vice president of marketing in Hoboken, New Jersey. It was during this time that he met the love of his life, Keira Roberts. They married on June 2, 2001, in Washington, D.C.

Frank took his marketing savvy, digital media expertise, publishing experience, and love of learning to new levels over his remaining career trajectory. As executive vice president for marketing and business development for CourseSmart, the first eTextbook platform and a venture jointly backed by several top publishing houses, he led development of eTextbooks for the iPhone app and grew the student eTextbook business to $10 million in sales from a zero base. In 2010, he then joined LibreDigital in Austin, Texas, as chief marketing officer, heading up product management and marketing for this leading distributor of digital content. Most recently, and until his death, Frank served as chief product officer for MyEdu Corporation in Austin, launching the first professional profile for college students and managing institutional partnerships. MyEdu was acquired by Blackboard in December of 2013.

Both in work and in his personal life, Frank was unparalleled in the strength of his connections with others. His solicitous nature, ability to listen, and extraordinary sense of humor and perspective drew people near and kept them close. His inventiveness, intelligence, vision, and wisdom led him to ever-increasing career heights. Friends and family from Washington, D.C., Columbia, Montclair, and New York to Austin, Cincinnati, and Toronto have been buoyed by his friendship and cheered by his infectious grin. A music aficionado, Frank played guitar and sang. He displayed a distinctive sartorial flair and brought both style and wit to everything he did. A father and husband of absolute integrity, his top priority was to create and maintain a safe, rich, and full life for his beloved family.

Frank is survived by his wife, Keira Lyman; daughter Aislin, son Thomas, and daughter Carys; father Frank T. Lyman Jr. and mother Sandra Lyman of New Hope, Pennsylvania; sister Sarah Lyman Kravits, brother-in-law Garth Kravits, niece Josephine, nephew Louis, and niece Delia, all of West Orange, New Jersey; and in-laws Don and Lynn Roberts of Alexandria, Virginia.

A memorial service will be held at the Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd, 3201 Windsor Road in Austin, Friday, June 27, at 11 a.m.

A fund has been set up to support the children. In lieu of flowers and gifts, please send donations to the Independent Bank f/b/o The Lyman Children, 1011 West 40th Street, Austin, Texas, 78756. Checks should be made out to The Lyman Children.

Keira and Carys Lyman remain hospitalized. Friends can keep apprised of their progress and of the family's needs at the Caring Bridge site at http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/keiralyman.