Anyone who knew Frank understood how much he loved to fish – especially for crappie. This love started in the early 1960’s when Frank was stationed in Missouri and had the good fortune to meet a couple of old-timers who taught him how to fish for crappie. Excursions to Lake of the Ozarks became an almost annual event, and were timed to correspond with the crappie spawning season in the springtime. Frank shared these trips with any family and friends who wanted to join him, and many did.

Frank also enjoyed watching professional basketball. He became an avid fan of the San Antonio Spurs beginning on the day they drafted David Robinson. He was a Spurs fan until his passing.

Later in life, keeping up with the exploits of his kids and grandkids became one of his hobbies. As the years passed, he made greater efforts to stay engaged and active with his extended family as much as his health and traveling distance allowed.

Frank was not a man who made friends easily, but the friends he did have were very, very special to him. And those people who became his good friends understood him and all of his flaws, and loved him anyway for his genuine and generous heart. Frank deeply valued these friendships, and they were commonly the source of endless stories that Frank would tell, and retell, and retell! Some of the special friends that Frank had over the years were:

Bob Martin – Ohio, childhood friend, and friend for life.

Linda and Steve Baker – Lincoln, Illinois

Chris and Nancy Sprague - Lincoln, Illinois

Joni and Van Simpson – Phoenix, AZ

Tom Barton – Las Vegas, NV

A special friendship was developed with brothers Gilbert and J.R. Alejandre, who Frank met while working at Home Depot in Las Vegas, and worked with as a handyman and painter. Gil and J.R. became more than friends - they were like adopted family members to Frank. Frank’s love for Gil and J.R. went beyond them, and and was extended to their families as well.

Nothing made Frank more proud than his family. As the years passed, he worked harder and harder to spend more time with his kids and grandkids. When he couldn’t spend time in person because of distance, he would spend time talking on the phone. He would light up whenever he talked about any of his grandchildren.

Frank’s family is what is commonly called a “blended family” – comprised of full-blooded siblings, half-siblings, and step-siblings. But none of that ever mattered to Frank; everyone was family and he loved all of his kids and grandkids dearly. Frank's legacy is as follows:

Daughter: Angela Eborg. Children – Samantha, Dillan.

Son: Roger Stapleton. Wife – Paula. Children – Erin Hackett (Married to Don Hackett, daughter – Evelyn), Rose, Jacob, Benjamin, Sophie.

Son: Drew Nellen. Wife – Tammy.

Son: Jim Stapleton.

Son: Darren Stapleton. Wife – Rachel. Children – Orlena, Reanna, Grace.

At the time that Frank separated from the Air Force, he was stationed at Travis AFB in Fairfield, CA. He got a job driving a cab for a year, and then joined Greyhound, where he drove a bus for 10 years. During this time, Frank drove routes out of Travis AFB in Fairfield and around San Francisco, but the things he enjoyed most and often talked about were his charter drives. He drove Shriners to the East-West Shrine Football Game, senior citizens groups to Canada, Moose Lodge charters to Reno and Lake Tahoe, high-schoolers to Disneyland, and Major League Baseball Hall-of-Famers to the Hall-of-Famer’s All-Star game.

After leaving Greyhound, Frank started his own handyman business in Fairfield, CA. He later packed up the family in 1984 and left California. They settled in Indiana for a year, where he worked with his brother, Buck in his flooring business. The next year Frank and the family moved to Lincoln, IL where he worked for Sherman Williams and later continued his own painting and handyman business.

In 1993, Frank and Lolita moved to Las Vegas, NV, where Frank began working for Home Depot. Though he liked the specific job, anyone who knows Frank will realize that working for a large company would not last long! Eventually, Frank went back to work for himself, and resurrected his painting and handyman business. Frank “retired” several times, but found himself continually drawn back to the job. In 2008, he finally put away his bib overalls (painters pants, actually) and retired for good.

Frank enlisted in the United States Air Force on October 9, 1959 and separated with an Honorable Discharge on October 2, 1967. He was known to recount stories of his time in the Air Force, and always seemed to be most fond of his time in Missouri where he learned to crappie fish and his time managing the USAF commissary in Tripoli, Libya. Frank also recalled his time in Turkey, and repeated over and over the stories of the “restroom” in the open on the corner of the streets, with the flies and stench everywhere. Despite the conditions, he remembers fondly some very good friends he made and talked about how they were really important to him as a young man away from his home and family. Frank also served a tour in Vietnam, and he never talked much about it. His time there made him refuse to watch war movies because, as he often said, “they were phony”.

His time in the service was tumultuous, and Frank joked with his son, Roger, that it was ironic (and just like the military) that he, of all people, would be awarded a Good Conduct Medal! Frank was proud of his time in the Air Force, and held a special place in his heart for service members – especially those wounded in the performance of their duty.

Those close to Frank would have undoubtedly heard the stories of his time in the military. No storytelling was ever complete without detailed descriptions of how Frank would butt heads with his superiors and take a stand on things he thought were right – even to the point of getting in big trouble for his refusal to yield. Anyone who knew Frank will recognize this strong-willed trait that stayed with him until his last days!

Frank was born in Lucasville, Ohio on December 17th, 1940. He was the 11th of 14 children, born to Earl and Nellie (Wright) Stapleton. Times were difficult, and at the age of 13 years old, Frank left home and set out on his own. He lived for a time with his brother Paul (Buck) Stapleton while he worked part-time and tried to stay in school. He has told stories of walking to school, going to basketball practice, and then walking to work. Frank eventually left school before graduating and then joined the military, but later earned his GED.