My condolences to the Frawley Family.  I am so saddened to hear of the passing of Mr. Frawley.  I am happy he lived a long life filled with special memories to share online; some of the digitized images even included my father, Robert E. Williams.  I am disheartened I was unable to visit Mr. Frawley in his final days. But, I will always have very fond memories of the time our families spent together. Rest in peace Mr. Frawley and I hope the surviving family members live long and prosper.

Angela M. Williams (RJ - age 29 and Alyia - age 25)

Final thoughts on my Dad's life:

So let’s continue to celebrate his life!

I'm reminded of a quote from The Shawshank Redemption, it’s one of our favorite movies written by Stephen King, one of my Dad's favorite authors:

I have to remind myself that some birds aren’t meant to be caged. Their feathers are just too bright. And when they fly away, the part of you that knows it was a sin to lock them up does rejoice. But still, the place you live in is that much more drab and empty that they’re gone.
I guess I just miss my Dad.

But I will rejoice, as I hope you do, in the love and memories he gave us and the thought that he’s up there, soaring on eagles wings. We love you, Dad.  So let’s raise a glass (vampire teeth optional) to James Franklin Frawley, our Dad!



More memories of my Dad, continued:

I’d just like to say a little about his life professional life, (others have touched on it), because it was so important to him. He took so much pride in his work and put his heart and soul in to the companies he worked for. The relationships he formed through work were his second family. He enjoyed keeping up with everyone, and when he made a friendship, he loved them as deeply as family. That just speaks to how my Dad did business, it’s all about the relationships. He was also a mentor to countless many, myself included, and not just in work, but also in life. 

More than anything, my Dad was a family man, so proud of his amazing wife and three children, and his five beautiful grandchildren. He was the glue, we did everything together and he kept up all of our family traditions. Some people used to ask, “Is it hard to live with him?” or say, “Your dad’s so serious and intimidating!” and we’d say, oh my gosh, no! He’s a nut! He’s sweet, and sentimental, a real softie inside.

He kept mementos all throughout his life, quietly in his files, because he loved them. He kept every photo from every Christmas card, wedding invitations, ticket stubs, reports and silly notes or drawings from when we were kids, so many childhood things, like his Bible, his switchblade (yes, his childhood switchblade), and everything from Boy Scouts, the list goes on and on.

And he was romantic. Once we were in London at Harrod’s and my Mom saw a beautiful leather coat. She loved it and looked so fabulous in it, but wouldn’t let him buy it for her because she thought it was too expensive, no matter how hard we tried to convince her. About a week after we got home, on the doorstep was a huge package - it was the coat! My dad had asked a business friend in London to go to Harrod’s, buy the coat, and send it to him. It was a total surprise and the type of thing my Dad loved to do. He just wanted to give my Mom the world.

To be continued in my next post...

My parents' story, continued:
My Dad's boss at Proctor & Gamble finally said, “If you don’t come back now, you won’t have a job.” So to Cincinnati, OH they went, and on day one they arrived, day two my Dad had set up an interview for my Mom, and on day three she went to work as a seamstress. Hey, that’s my Dad, and that’s my tough Mom. Together, they built everything - what an amazing partnership and love story for 53 years.

Growing up, my dad always made life more fun.  He was firm, and when he wanted you to do something, the man was unstoppable, but when it was time for fun, he was equally unstoppable.  Some of my favorite memories are of the little things that always made me think my Dad is so crazy, and also, so cool.

He loved to be spontaneous - sometimes, he’d wake us up in the morning and just announce we’re going on a trip!  Next thing I know we’re off to Pismo Beach to dig clams, or Solvang, Big Bear, San Diego, we loved road trips.
Or there's the times he’d go shopping in his PJ’s and robe, and we’d just eat or drink whatever we wanted, then bring the wrappers to the check out to pay.  I thought he was sooo cool.
I can’t tell you how many times he put in funny fake names at a restaurant - he loved making the hostess announce, “Rambo, party of five.” And if our order didn’t come in a timely manner, he’d say, “If our food doesn’t come in 1 minute, we’re all screaming at the top of our lungs.” Of course we did, and of course he got the server’s attention.
He’d chase me and my cousins around with vampire teeth, and sometimes a Bloody Mary, saying, “I’m gonna suck your blood!” No, it wasn’t Halloween, that was just normal.
And to this day, my whole family howls at the moon, because it’s a Frawley tradition.
He loved to sing and dance, although he was not the greatest at either, and he lived like the saying:
You’ve gotta dance like there’s nobody’s watching, 
Love like you’ll never be hurt,
Sing like there’s nobody listening
And live like it's heaven on earth.

I wanted to share some of my parents' story, an excerpt from my speech at my Dad's Memorial:

My Dad grew up in Mt. Vernon, New York, my grandpa, Mark, was a carpenter, and my grandma, Leone, a homemaker, and a Franklin, thus his middle name. He was the youngest of three boys, and has many a story about his early days, running with his “gang” and causing all sorts of trouble, from kidney bombs at school to his teacher saying he’d never amount to anything. But he was also a hard worker, a choir boy, an Eagle Scout, a graduate of Columbia University, and a Naval officer. That’s where my mom comes in.

The story of my Mom and Dad is the stuff of movies - a true romance. My dad was stationed in Taiwan from 1959 - 1962, my mom was a farm girl, and a knock out… she also was a nanny for American officers and learned how to improve her English from the children. He saw her walking her dog down the street and was smitten, so since he didn’t speak Chinese, he sent out his houseboy to ask her out, with a steak for the dog. Even then, my Dad knew how to make a deal. Of course, she turned him down… multiple times. And finally, when she accepted, she stood him up (for good reasons.)

Well, they did get together and dated, but he always told her, as he advised the enlisted men to do, "I’m not going to marry you or take you with me." Sure enough, when he was discharged, he left Taiwan and my Mom, with all of his Johnny Cash records for her to remember him. They wrote back and forth, she’d cry listening to his records, and he’d even send her pictures of his other girlfriends, saying, “That’s me and Sheila on a date. I don’t like her.”

After three years, he finally scraped up all the money he had saved but it still wasn’t enough, so he borrowed money from “a family from the old neighborhood” to go get her. They got married with basically no money and a debt to pay, but before they could return, a typhoon hit Taiwan, delaying them about two weeks. To be continued in the next post... 

When I first met Jim Frawley I was left in awe of his prodigious creativity and sense of humor. As a gifted marketer he was the champion of brand building within the Company. Long before Warren Buffet said it I learnt from Jim that communication skills are the most important attribute for success. Applies equally to individuals as it does to Brands. His one word Wessonality campaign still rings in my mind. Because of him I met Florence , Orville and so many other interesting people. He was a magnet and he will be missed. 

I am so sorry to hear about James’ passing. James was a truly unique man and his stories were hilarious. My favorite was the coffin he kept in the living room as a coffee table at one time. I remember as a kid cooking James a huge pancake when he visited us. He ate some of it, burnt, uncooked center, and all.

I always meant to drop by and visit him and Echo when we were in California but we were always just passing through. I wish we had.

To the family, James will never be forgotten as long as he lives in our memories. He holds a special place in my heart and I shall not forget him.


I knew my Uncle James from long ago.  I remember when he went off to school and then abroad.  I missed him so much.  Then, when I did see him he had married my Aunt Echo.  She was so beautiful.  I did not know his children very well except for the time they came to Maine where my dad had a farm.   We had some good memories. 

For Uncle James' family:  My heart aches in his passing, but be comforted in the knowledge that he is with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for all eternity.

Here is a young James Frawley taking the time to teach me how to place chess.


OBITUARY

James Frawley Sr.

April 20, 1937 – January 2, 2019

Pierce Brothers Westwood Village Memorial Park & Mortuary

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