Frank Ceil Stolz Jr.
Major Frank C. Stolz Jr entered this world on New Year's Day 1940 and went to heaven on Christmas Day 2023. He knew how to make a statement. A Celebration of Life service for Frank will be held Thursday, January 18, 2024, at 1:30 PM at Hill Country Bible Church, 12124 Ranch Rd 620 N, Austin, TX 78750. A reception will occur immediately following the service at VFW Post 8587, 1000 N College St, Georgetown, TX 78626. A graveside service with military honors will be held on Friday, January 19, 2024, at 9:45 AM at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery – Pavilion 5, 1520 Harry Wurzbach Rd, San Antonio, TX 78209.
Frank was born in San Antonio to Colonel Frank C. Stolz and Dora Helen Bazan. Frank was originally named Jerry, but World War II had just started, and Jerry was the nickname assigned to the German soldiers, so his parents legally changed his name to be Frank C. Stolz Jr. As a military brat, Frank lived and traveled throughout the world with his parents and siblings, George, Lou and Joyce. He lived in Cali, Columbia while in grade school and attended high school in Nagoya, Japan where he was the class vice president. His family moved back to the US during his last semester of high school where he graduated from Pottsville, PA high school. After high school, he worked a summer in New York City for Otis Elevator Company where he placed rails for skyscrapers.
Frank left NYC and briefly joined the Cuban Forces. After several months, he realized Castro was a Communist and promptly returned to the US and enlisted in the Marine Corps. He soon found himself on the other side of the fence at Guantanamo, Cuba. He was transferred to Okinawa and then Vietnam. He was later selected for Officer Candidate School and then the Navy War College. He trained in the Philippines, on Mt. Fuji, at Camp Pendleton, Quantico, and numerous other locations. He fought and commanded Rifle Platoon/s and trained troops for Vietnam. He didn’t ever expect to leave Vietnam alive, and it is safe to say that everyone dies but some people never live. Frank was the exception and lived fearlessly and bravely. He was a great protector and went to Vietnam 4 times, earning 2 purple hearts and a bronze star for his valor.
He was married in 1968 and had 2 daughters. His first daughter was born in 1971 in Taipei, Taiwan where Maj Stolz served as an advisor the Vietnamese Marines. He returned to Camp Pendleton where a second daughter was born in La Jolla. Unfortunately, he divorced a few years after being stateside. He decided that his children were more important than his future career and elected to retire from the Marine Corps to gain the income that would allow the children to attend college when that time arrived.
He worked for the Saudi Arabia Oil & Gas company ARAMCO for 13 years and spent another 5 years in such places as Jordan, India, Pakistan, and Afghanistan. He returned to the USA at the end of 1999 and settled in central Texas to be close to his daughters. During his retirement, he wrote a book titled “WMD Attacks on America” which can be found on his website www.WMDterror.com . He also wrote a song for his daughters which was recorded by a friend and well-known Irish singer and was working on another book at the time of his death.
Frank was a man of deep faith and a religious scholar. He inspired more than one Officer to join the ministry and helped connect Marines to benefits and friendships. He was king of the funny Dad T-shirt and loved to brag about his daughters and grandchildren to anyone who would listen. He enjoyed reading, writing, walking, hunting, shooting, spending time with family and friends, Lipton Tea, Fox News, and his dog Rex. He trained Marines on the rifle range and later cub scouts on the BB gun range. The world lost a giant this Christmas Day and those of us who knew him are so grateful for his life.
Maj Stolz is survived by his daughter Keisha (Kathy) Burgess of Austin, Erika Dora Moe of San Antonio and their families including son-in-law Doug Burgess, grandsons, John (Jack) Burgess, William Burgess, Nicholas Burgess, Thomas Burgess, son-in-law Ryan Moe and grand-daughters Carolyn Moe, Grace Moe. He is also survived by his loving sister Joyce Buckley and brother-in-law Pete. As well as numerous nieces, nephews, friends, military acquaintances, and his dog Rex.