Frank Calvin Patrick of Swainsboro passed away comfortably in his home under the care of hospice and his devoted family after a long illness Saturday, July 15, 2023. Memorial services will be Saturday, July 22, at 11 a.m. in the First Methodist Church of Swainsboro with Buddy Patrick, Edwin Patrick, and Rev. David Unkles officiating. The family will receive friends Friday, July 21, from 5 to 7 p.m. at Tomlinson Funeral Home.
Frank was born in Savannah in 1943, the fourth born and third surviving son of ten children, to Grace and Emmitt Patrick of Patrick Farm, Emanuel Co. He and his siblings grew up hard, farming primarily cotton, tobacco and corn alongside their parents, and performing crazy stunts like riding cows on Sundays after church. Frank graduated from Emanuel County Institute in 1962 and immediately went into the U.S. Air Force where he served until 1966. After the Air Force, he went to work for Coca-Cola in Augusta, where he learned to drive large vehicles. In the early 70’s, Frank moved to the “big city” of Atlanta to work at Massey College, where he drove a double decker bus full of college girls through the streets of downtown Atlanta. In 1972, he met and married his wife, Deana, after a whirlwind romance of only three months. Frank and Deana were married for 50 years and 11 months, living in their Swainsboro house on Ponderosa Drive for over 40 years. They have two children, Michelle (Carl) Hall and Adam (Kelly) Patrick, and one grandchild, Miles Hall.
Known to folks over the age of 45 as “the chicken man,” Frank managed the Swainsboro and Sandersville Kentucky Fried Chicken stores, and catered many events in the county in the 80’s and 90’s. After leaving the restaurant business for good, Frank found his “favorite job I ever had” as the Purchasing Agent at Advanced Metal Components, where he could put his love of finding a deal to good use. Even so, he couldn’t get away from cooking for people and could be found manning the grills at all AMC company events until his retirement in 2010. Frank didn’t slow down after retirement; he dove into gardening with the zest of a gentleman farmer growing absolutely ridiculous amounts of crook-neck squash and zucchini which he ended up giving away to neighbors, friends and anyone he could find who would take some off his hands. late blooming animal lover with possibly the most spoiled pets in three counties, Frank could often be seen walking or gardening with his best boy “Bo” the dog. When he wasn’t forcing squash on people or cultivating his love of naps with his extremely spoiled pets, Frank was busy doing charity work with the Kiwanis Club of Swainsboro of which he was a member for 36 years. Frank was a man with an extra soft heart for children. His favorite Kiwanis event was the annual bike giveaway. Nothing gave him more joy than watching kids in their excitement as they received a new bike. During his tenure as a Kiwanian, Frank served as chairman of the Pine Tree Festival, president-elect of the club, chair of Pre-K Fun Day and chair of the Herrington Homestead Cookout, as well as many other committees. He received the Swainsboro’s Kiwanian of the Year Award, the Georgia Kiwanis Governor's Honors Award and the Kiwanis Presidential Award. A dedicated connoisseur of sugar, Frank thoroughly enjoyed a heaping bowl of ice cream, banana pudding or peach cobbler until his last day. Known to the neighborhood kids as “Mr. Frank” who always had a great stash of candy and Oreo cookies that he was willing to dole out in copious amounts. He often dropped bags of “a little treat” for the kiddos during his daily walks around the Pine Lake Subdivision. Frank loved to laugh. He was a bawdy jokester with a laugh that could be heard across the room. He loved to tease his family and friends during the annual gathering for the UGA vs. GA Tech game by switching sides on who he was going to root for from moment to moment. He loved telling stories about the old days of outhouses, chasing pigs and throwing cow chips at his brothers. His fish were often the size of whales, and he loved telling fish stories as much as he enjoyed the pastime with his daughter and nephews at the family pond. Over his nearly 80 years, Frank was a one-time member of the Swainsboro United Methodist Church, Swainsboro Baptist Church and Hawhammock Baptist Church. As a firm believer in loving one’s neighbor, he spent most of his retirement years in service to friends, family and his community as a practice of his faith.
Mr. Patrick is survived by his wife, Deana; daughter, Michelle (Carl); son, Adam (Kelly); grandchild, Miles; brothers, Edwin Sr. (Ingrid) and Buddy (Rita); sisters, Pam and Sherry (Cecil); and a whole passel of beloved nieces, nephews, sisters-in-law, cousins and dear friends who are family.
In lieu of flowers, monetary donations may be sent to: Kiwanis Club of Swainsboro or Swainsboro Methodist Church, Attention: Food Bank. As Frank was a firm believer in The Golden Rule, remembering him through performing generous acts for one’s neighbors would be the highest way of honoring a kind and loving man.
Tomlinson Funeral Home and Crematory is in charge of arrangements.
