FRANK JOSEPH STARR

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FRANK JOSEPH STARR
February 15, 1929 - September 08, 2022

It is with great sadness that we announce the peaceful passing of Frank: husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather.
Frank was predeceased by his wife Anne and daughter Debra. He leaves to mourn and cherish his memory: Bob (Wanda); David (Pete); Ken (Jacqui); grandchildren: Jasmine, Karen (Todd), Nikolas (Paige) and Sam (Trista); and great-grandchildren: Maxwell, Aimee and Austin, and Phoenyx.
Frank started his life in a log cabin on twenty acres in Cook's Creek, MB. As a young teenager, his family moved from the farm at Cook's Creek into their first Winnipeg home on St. Catherine Street. This was luxury, as they now had indoor plumbing and running water.
Dad was enrolled at Norwood Collegiate. The morning he graduated, his principal approached him with a job opening at Wawanesa Insurance Company. As it was only noon, Dad hopped on a bus to Wawanesa and was hired on the spot. With his typing skills, he spent the afternoon as a junior clerk in the Claims department. So began his lifelong career at Wawanesa.
On July 15, 1950, Dad married the love of his life, Anne. As life went on, they had four children, built three different homes in Manitoba, and a cottage near Minaki, Ontario, and a retirement home in Florida.
They enjoyed a long, happy retirement travelling between their country home, cottage and winter retreat in Florida. After Mom's passing in 2007, Dad's nephew Bob Sontag and his wife Corinne invited Dad to spend the winters with them in Florida. This was a blessing for Dad as he truly hated snow. Due to the kindness of Bob and Corinne, Dad golfed in Florida until the age of 87. At 86 he shot an 86 in golf; he was thrilled.
Our special thanks to Bob and Corinne and the entire Sontag family who always included Dad in their holiday feasts and made sure his freezer was well-stocked with his beloved perogies and cabbage rolls.
At Wawanesa, Frank soon became a claims adjuster. Then assistant claims manager and ended his career as claims manager of the Winnipeg office.
He was a Commissioner for Oaths for the province of Manitoba for many years. In 1972 he completed the courses and exams required to become a Fellow of the Insurance Institute of Canada, earning the designation F.I.I.C. Frank was president of the Insurance Claims Managers Association from 1984-1985.
In the mid seventies Frank was chosen as part of a team to visit every Wawanesa office in Canada and the first U.S. office in San Diego, California to set them up with an inner company computer system. Frank's job was to act as a liaison between the programmers and the business side of adjusting claims. He retired from Wawanesa at the age of 58.
Dad was an avid outdoorsman all his life. Hunting, fishing, camping, gardening, golfing and a dedicated Winnipeg Blue Bombers fan all his life. Chess, cards, cribbage, horseshoes—these were all passions of Frank's.
But there always had to be some money on the line to make it interesting! For example, the first fish caught: 25 cents; all others after were 5 cents. This was serious and tabs were kept.
The family knows that every Saturday at the cottage was the same. About 5:00 p.m., the bbq came out. The best steaks had been purchased (he had special contacts), while Mom prepared the steak, garlic toast, cucumber salad and her special potatoes-and-onions, Dad prepared his rum and cola and started the briquettes. It was now Happy Hour and Horseshoe Time. If he did not win at horseshoes, then he decided the coals were not quite ready, and more games were played until he won.
Cremation has taken place. As per Dad's wishes, he will be laid to rest privately beside his wife Anne at Green Acres Funeral Home. Donations gratefully declined.

Rest in Peace, Dad,
you will be missed and never forgotten.
GREEN ACRES
Funeral Home and Cemetery
(204) 222-3241
Condolences may be sent to
www.greenacresfuneralhome.com

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Sep 17, 2022