FRANCIS XAVIER LANG, JR.

Born: August 4, 1940
Died: July 24, 2017

Francis X. Lang, Jr., was born and raised in Wellesley, Mass. He graduated from Wellesley High School, Class of 1958. Frank was a gifted athlete and an active participant in basketball and tennis in both high school and at Yale.

Frank was to become one of four roommates at Yale whose lives would be intertwined for many years. Dave Smay, Ken Merkey and Frank would be lifelong friends. They lost their fourth roommate, Bobby Serumgard, in 1976 to a motorcycle accident. They lost David in 2008 to islet pancreatic cancer.

It was uncanny how often they would meet in the most unlikely places. Dave joined the Marine Corps, Frank and Ken joined the Navy. In Little Creek (VA) Marine base, where Ken was stationed, who should walk into the Officers Club but Frank. In Yokosuka, Japan where Ken was stationed who should arrive for a short tour of duty but Frank. In London where Dave and Ken were living who should arrive for an extended visit but Frank. In 1978 Frank and Ken bought a farm in Massachusetts together. Both enjoyed operating the farm equipment and harvesting firewood.

Frank worked for a period of time for the United Fruit Company. He became very knowledgeable in container port development. For several years he was a consultant to various federal agencies advising on port development in the Caribbean. Frank moved to Florida in 1998 and spent the rest of his career in school administration.

At Yale he was a resident of Branford College and an industrial administration major. He competed on the Branford basketball and tennis teams and was a member of Phi Gamma Delta, the Management Club and St. Thomas More.

Frank died on July 24, 2017 in Palm Harbor, FL after falling in an accident inside his home. On his grave marker is the Ralph Waldo Emerson quote:

"Let not a man guard his dignity, but let his dignity guard him."

Frank is survived by his three sisters; Judith Spooner of Wellesley, MA, Carol Hedman of Sonoma, CA, and Susan Aherne of Portland, OR. He is also survived by two nieces, Amy Spooner of Boston, MA and Lang Reasenberg of Davis, CA. Frank was married for a period of 3 years to Louise Belden of Wilmington, DE and had no children. He was predeceased by his parents, Francis Xavier and Rachel F. Nolet Lang.

Frank was interred in the Woodlawn Memorial Cemetery in Wellesley, MA.

Kenneth Merkey