Obituary/ Leonard Frank

Leonard Frank resided in Hackettstown from 1959 until 2008 when he moved to Bristol Glen retirement home in Newton NJ. Len was an active member or the community. In Peaceful Reprieve:
Leonard Frank, 96, of Newton, NJ, passed away after a brief illness on January 17, 2021. Born in Brooklyn, NY, on November 19, 1924, he was the second of Joe and Sophie Frank's three sons.
During WW II, Len served in the Pacific Theater with the Army Air Force, where he provided troop support in the weather division. Thanks to the G.I. Bill, Len went to the University of Wisconsin and earned a degree in Metallurgical Engineering in 1948. While at the university, he met and married his wife Erica and developed a lifelong interest in the outdoors, joining the Hoofers Club and serving as Commodore of the yacht club.
After graduation, Len worked in the Joliet Iron and Steel Works while he and Erica started their family and lived on a small farm in New Lennox, Illinois. In 1960, he moved his family to Hackettstown, NJ, and began his employment at Picatinny Arsenal (1960-1979), working on projects from weapons development to assembly line design and workplace safety. He loved his adopted town of Hackettstown and served with Reverend Clarence Sickles on the committee to establish the retirement community of Heath Village.
After retirement, Len devoted himself to his passions of preserving the environment, hiking, stamp collecting, and local history. Together with his wife Erica, he backpacked all over America, hiked some of the highest mountains, and led Sierra Club hikes in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York, and California. In the 1970s, Len started the Northwest NJ chapter of the Sierra Club. An early proponent of converting railroads to hiking trails, he was also a founder and first president of the Paulinskill Valley Trail Committee. He was an avid stamp collector and amateur historian, specializing in New Jersey postal history, industrial development, the Morris Canal, and the Town of Hackettstown. He co-authored, with Raymond Lemasters, Historic Mainstreet, Hackettstown, New Jersey.
In 2009, Len moved to Bristol Glen in Newton, NJ, with his wife, Erica, who passed away in 2013. He continued his passions for stamps, history, and hiking, walking outside daily up until his death.
Len is survived by his four children Elisabeth Lescault (Marc), Adrienne (Gary), Jack (Kathe), and Gareth (Roxanne). He is also survived by granddaughter Julia McGlamary (Kevin), grandsons Matt Lescault (Jaime) and Joseph, and great-grandchildren Ella and Harrison McGlamary and Caitlyn and Theo Lescault, niece Nancy Frank (John), and nephew Joel Frank (Andrea) and their children.
A memorial service will be held sometime in the future. Donations may be made in his memory to the Paulinskill Valley Trail Committee (PVTC) C/o of Marty Grossman, PO Box 175, Andover, NJ 07821

Liz Lescault Liz Lescault
Jan '21

My deepest sympathy to you and your family, Ms. Lescault. Your father sounds like a wonderful man who lived a very full life.

ianimal ianimal
Jan '21

I have enjoyed the book he co-authored very much. I second ianimal's sentiment.


I had the pleasure of serving on the Hackettstown Environmental Commission with Len for several years. He always had great stories to tell and history of the town to share, along with a real appreciation of the environment. I am sorry for your loss, Liz. My sympathies to you and and your family

Joanne Joanne
Jan '21

So many wonderful memories of working the trail with Len. A kind, gracious, hard-working advocate. Blessed to have known him. So happy he had a long and wonderful life. Much love to his family.

Carole Ann Dicton Carole Ann Dicton
Jan '21

So sorry for your loss Ms. Lescault, I knew your mother Erica from St James church, she used to walk across the street and be there. She was always so kind to us children. It sounds like they shared a full and adventurous life.

hktownie hktownie
Jan '21

Such a wonderful legacy- https://www.nj.com/news/2021/01/wwii-vet-who-helped-save-popular-nj-trail-loved-it-right-until-the-end.html

hktownie hktownie
Jan '21

My husband mike and I went on many a walk with Len and Erica. Erica identified all the plants Len identified all the rocks for me. He taught me how to recognize a right of way. Time spent with Len was certainly an education .he like us was interested in canals mines fallen flag railroads and history.we will miss him

Sheila Massoni Sheila Massoni
Jan '21

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