Obituary: Frank Kneisel, 81, Of Westport

Information via Harding Funeral Home

Frank Kneisel, 81, passed away peacefully on March 6, 2019. He was a loving husband to his wife, Mary, for over 50 years and a devoted father to Geoff and his wife, Sara, of Westport, CT; David and his wife, Caitlin, of Fairfield, CT; and daughter, Lindsay Gagnon of Essex, MA. He was also a very proud “Papa” to his grandchildren Brady(13), Andrew (13), Annabelle (9), Amelie (6), Davis (6) and Wesley (5 months).

Frank was predeceased by his parents, Frank and Ruth Kneisel and sister, Ginny.

Frank was born on May 18, 1937 in New York City and was the grandson of renowned violinist and concertmaster, Franz Kneisel. He was a graduate of Princeton High School (’55), Yale University (’59), Harvard Business School (’65), and served in the United States Army. Frank’s top priority never wavered from his love and affection for his family.

For all his other accomplishments, including his role as Chief Financial Officer of Champion International Corporation (later International Paper), Frank was most proud of his leadership roles in the two communities he loved. As a Westport resident of 45 years, he served on the Parks & Recreation Commission for many years and as President of the Westport Soccer Association. In Castine, Maine, where he summered for most of his life, he served on the boards of the Golf Club, the Harbor Committee and the Hatch Community Youth Fund.

Should friends desire, contributions in Frank’s memory may be made to The Hatch Community Youth Fund, P.O. Box 195, Castine, ME 04421 or www.thehatchfund.org. Castine was Frank’s "happy place," and a celebration of his life will be planned there for early summer.

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