Frank Joseph Vargo, Jr., 82, of Kailua, Hawaii, peacefully passed Sunday afternoon, Jan. 31, 2021. He was doing well a week prior - smiling, laughing and joking. He developed a fever on the Tuesday before his passing, which trigged a trip to the hospital where they found that he was battling a blood infection, a UTI and pneumonia - a sudden and triple whammy that he could not recover from. He declined quickly as he also was weakened from Lewy Body Dementia for the last few years. He was born October 21, 1938, in Cleveland Ohio to Loretta (Kurz) Vagi and Frank J. Vargo, Sr. Frank is survived by two siblings Richard Lehner and Susan Lehner. According to Frank, he was an outstanding student and was a 1956 graduate at Cleveland's West Tech High School, a 1970 graduate of Cleveland State University with a Bachelor in Engineering Science with a minor in Physics and alumni of the University of Hawai'i, where he earned his MBA in 1977. However, a note from his teacher dated 3/23/49 revealed that he was a typical 11-year-old boy: "Frank would improve his record by participating more in discussions and by improving his self-control."
Frank was formerly married to Dianna (Pickrel) Vargo and they shared two children, James R. Vargo, who preceded him in death and Cynthia (Cindy) Siok of Kailua. He is survived by his daughter, and five grandsons: Gary, Peter, Tim, Jared and Dylan and great-grandchildren: Alison, Timothy, Dexter and Lucy, along with a large extended family of nephews, nieces and in-laws.
Frank had many talents, interests and hobbies throughout his life: sailing Lake Michigan and later in Hawai'i, bicycle riding across Oahu - especially the Lanikai loop, he was a longtime and active member of ACE (American Coaster Enthusiasts), he was active in Toastmasters International and served as Toastmasters District 49 Governor in 2011-12, he volunteered as an usher at Manoa Valley Theater for many years and was an avid grower of bonsai plants, especially desert rose. He also loved his pet dogs very much: Muffy, Nani and JR.
He served honorably in the Army for six years in the 1960s and was stationed in Berlin, Germany for part of his service. This is when he formed the idea of moving to Hawai'i someday. He wrote home in Oct. of 1961: "Out of our class of 25, there are 15 Hawaiians. They all seem real nice and now I really want to try to get stationed in Hawai'i." Frank worked 15 years for The Cleveland Electric Illuminating Company before moving his young family from Ohio to Kailua in 1973 to work as an engineer for Hawaiian Electric Co., which he retired from in 2012 after 39 years. He was especially proud of his PE (Professional Engineer) license. He purchased a house soon after moving to Hawai'i on a cul-de-sac in Enchanted Lake in 1973, which was his home for the remainder of his life.
Frank was always willing to help people and served in many community service organizations for many years, including: Volunteer, Information & Referral Service (VIRS); Network Enterprises; Aloha United Way and Ask-2000.
Frank will be remembered for his giving spirit and willingness to help people and as a jokester. He will be missed by those lucky enough to have him in their circle of family and friends.
Due to Covid-19 restrictions, no memorial is planned, but a video tribute is available for viewing. Contact Cindy Siok via Cindy@AtHomeHawaii.com for a link.
Arrangements Provided By: Oahu Mortuary
