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It is with
great regret and sorrow that I must notify you of the death of our classmate,
Frank Tilton, on October 20, 2023, in Laconia, NH.
Frank is
survived by his wife, Elizabeth (Liz); their children, Paul and his wife
Jennifer, Melinda (USMA 1992) and her husband Matthew Morgan, Jay and his
partner Katherine Daily, Michael (USMA 2000) and his wife Sarah, Susan and her
husband Daniel Ruecking (USMA 1997); their grandchildren, Kira, Brady, and
Landon Tilton, William, Ryan, and Andrew Ruecking, Madeline and Claire Tilton,
and Joshua and Maxwell Morgan; his sister, MaryLee Ayre; and his sister-in-law,
Joan Tilton.
Visitation will
be at 4 PM on November 12, 2023 at Wilkinson-Beane Funeral Home, 164 Pleasant
Street, Laconia, NH 03246.
A Funeral Mass
will be held at 9 AM on November 13, 2023 at St. Andre Bessette Parish, 291
Union Ave, Laconia, NH 03246.
Burial will
follow at 11 AM at the New Hampshire Veterans Cemetery, 110 Daniel Webster
Highway, Boscawen, NH 03303.
Condolences may
be sent to Liz at 56 Orchard Street, Laconia, NH 03246-3027.
In lieu of
flowers, the family has requested that donations in Frank’s memory be sent to
New Hampshire Catholic Charities at 100 William Loeb Drive, Unit 3, Manchester,
NH 03109, or https://www.cc-nh.org/ways-to-give/donate/.
Well done,
Frank. Be thou at peace.
Remembrances:
Class Memorial Pages\I-1 Frank Tilton.pdf
Frank was the best of the best. I just finished a letter to his widow, Liz
telling her how much we all admired him.
I summed up Frank with three adjectives: SMART, BRAVE and KIND.
Frank was really smart. Nothing at West Point truly challenged his intellect.
Frank was brave. He hurt his back early on. We in I-1 remember Frank in the
South Area sinks, lying on a bench doing sit-ups night after night to try to
strengthen his back. It was not easy. You could see the pain in his face and the
sweat running off his body as he worked to counter his serious problem.
Frank was kind. There are several West Pointers who never would have graduated
were it not for Frank’s tireless efforts to coach the well-neigh uncoachable
most every evening in the sinks.
Frank was a truly great guy. We can never forget him.
Regards to all - Alan Armstrong ’61 @ Company I-l
Obituaries:
Franklin Thomas "Frank" Tilton
 LACONIA ---- Colonel Franklin "Frank" Thomas Tilton, U.S. Army (retired), 84,
died on Friday, October 20, 2023, at St. Francis Nursing Home in Laconia, NH.
A lifelong public servant, Frank was born and raised in Laconia, NH. When his
father served at the Pentagon, Frank finished his last two years of high school
in Washington, D.C. and then attended the United States Military Academy at West
Point finishing in the top of his class. As a cadet, he marched in the
inauguration parade for President John F. Kennedy in 1961. Upon graduation, he
was commissioned into the U.S. Army and completed Parachute and Ranger training.
He later obtained a Master's in Operations Research from Stanford University. In
his 32-year Army career, Frank served as a combat engineer for two tours in the
Republic of Vietnam (1967-68, 1970-71), two assignments in West Germany, and
multiple assignments throughout the US, moving 20 times across 14 states.
Frank and Liz were married in late December back in '63 and raised five children
who all went on to serve in the military and continue the example of public
service set by their parents.
Frank traded military service for civil service when he returned to his native
Laconia to serve as the Director of Public Works from 1993 to 2003. Following in
the footsteps of his father and grandfather, Frank served on the Belknap County
Executive Committee and in the NH House of Representatives as a Republican from
2004 to 2008 and 2010 to 2020, serving on the Public Works and Highways
Committee.
An athlete and coach his entire life, in 1957 Frank broke the D.C. High School
basketball single game free throw record previously held by NBA Hall of Famer
Elgin Baylor. At West Point he played baseball, ran track, and finished near the
top of his class in physical fitness and mathematics. As a father, Frank enjoyed
coaching sports and got involved in academic pursuits such as West Point
admissions and MathCounts which he helped grow from the early stages in New
Hampshire. As a grandfather he loved attending his grandchildren's sporting,
scouting, and theater events and keeping up with their interests and academics.
Frank's involvement in family, community, and public service impacted and
inspired lives across the communities wherever he lived and worked.
He is survived by his wife of 60 years, Elizabeth "Liz"; sons, Paul Tilton and
his wife Jennifer, James Tilton and his partner Katherine Daily, Michael Tilton
and his wife Sarah; daughters, Melinda Tilton and her husband Matthew Morgan,
Susan Ruecking and her husband Daniel; 10 grandchildren, Kira, Brady, and Landon
Tilton; William, Ryan, and Andrew Ruecking; Madeline and Claire Tilton; and
Joshua and Maxwell Morgan; sister, MaryLee Ayre, of Agawam, MA; and
sister-in-law, Joan Tilton, of Concord, MA.
Well done, Frank. Be thou at peace.
Calling Hours will be held on Sunday, November 12, 2023 from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00
p.m. at Wilkinson-Beane-Simoneau-Paquette Funeral Home in the Carriage House,
164 Pleasant Street, Laconia, NH.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Monday, November 13, 2023 at
9:00 a.m. at St. Andre Bessette Parish-Sacred Heart, 291 Union Avenue, Laconia,
NH.
Burial with military honors will follow at New Hampshire State Veterans
Cemetery, 110 Daniel Webster Highway, Boscawen, NH.
In lieu of flowers, the family has suggested that donations be made in Frank's
memory to New Hampshire Catholic Charities, 100 William Loeb Drive, Unit 3,
Manchester, NH 03109.
Wilkinson-Beane-Simoneau-Paquette Funeral Home & Cremation
Services/603Cremations.com, Laconia, NH, is assisting the family with
arrangements. For more information and to view an online memorial, please visit
wilkinsonbeane.com.
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