- Date Of Birth: August 21, 1934
- Date Of Death: September 21, 2017
- State: California
Frank Dyrus McNeely, born August 21, 1934, passed away at the age of 83 from a broken heart on September 21, 2017. Frank was born in Taft, California to Milburn and Inette McNeely. For much of his early life, he was raised by his grandmother, Della Fairbanks. Frank loved Taft and enjoyed growing up in the small oil town where he could hunt and ride motorcycles, a passion he maintained throughout his life. At the age of 17 while attending high school, Frank joined the naval reserves and shortly after enlisted in the Navy. This was during the Korean War and he served his two years on the USS Yancy as a signalman with the rank Quarter Master Seaman. Upon discharge from the Navy, he returned to Taft and enrolled in Taft College to obtain his high school diploma. While there, he saw a cheerleader for Taft College named Patricia Hummer. He told his good friend that even though he did not know her, he was going to marry her. They were married on July 3rd, 1955. Patti stayed with her parents in Maricopa, while Frank went on to Fresno State College where he majored in Criminology. After the birth of their first child, Patti and their daughter Susan moved to Fresno. In June 1956, he took a test to go on the California Highway Patrol. He placed 68th out of 10,000 who took the test. In March 1957 Frank reported to the academy for training and upon graduation in June, he was assigned to ride motorcycles in Compton. He would later transfer to Fresno and upon being promoted to sergeant in December 1966, his final assignment was in Ventura, California. He worked 28 years for the California Highway Patrol and said it was the best job he could have ever had.
