Obituary of David Leroy Frantz Jr.

Manchester, Tennessee - Mr. David Leroy Frantz Jr., age 65, passed from this life on Sunday, January 2, 2022, in Murfreesboro, TN. Born on March 8th, 1956, David Leroy Frantz Jr was one of 5 children of David and Irene Frantz. While growing up in Livonia, Michigan, he met his neighbor Irene Wicks (J6LCJ) an avid amateur (Ham) radio operator, beginning his interest in radio and electronics. Licensed as WA4SZE, he spent his youth building, drawing, and learning about electronics, eventually leading him to his first job as a teen fixing televisions. When his family moved to Florida, he began taking flying lessons and met Wallie Watson who hired him to fly for Mackey International Airlines, a small commuter airline stationed at Ft. Lauderdale Airport. When the airline closed, he worked as an avionics repairman and test pilot at Sunny South Aircraft. A chance meeting in 1981 at the Banana Boat, a local restaurant, introduced David to his future wife Roseanne, a registered nurse. They married in 1982 and started their own business, Frantz Avionics Inc. specializing in repairing aircraft electronics and test-flying electronics in airplanes at Ft. Lauderdale Airport. An FAA inspector recognized David's extensive knowledge and experience with aircraft, and the Inspector suggested David apply to the FAA. He was hired by the FAA as an Aviation Inspector and Aircraft Accident Investigator stationed in Atlanta, GA. During his first year as an FAA Inspector, he led the effort to revise aviation charts used by pilots to highlight areas of dangerous clear-air turbulence such as mountain waves, rotors, and lee waves. For his efforts, David was named Aircraft Inspector of the Year during his first year of employment. Despite this, his greatest accomplishment was yet to come. Feeling a calling from God, David left the FAA and built two International Shortwave Christian Radio Stations (WGTG in McCaysville, GA and WWRB in Manchester, TN) which brought the Word of God to shortwave listeners throughout the world. Over the course of his life, he continued to run WWRB and remained active in ham radio and aviation. He flew as a private pilot and built his own private airport, VOR, glideslope, NDB, and localizer. His passion for electronics, history, and how things work led him to recreate the four-course airline navigation system, a work which was featured by the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association Magazine in their June 1st, 2010 article, “Proficient Pilot: Play it by Ear.” His work and an explanation of the system can be seen at https://youtu.be/p-VqtNY8vpw. Outside of the blessing of his family, of all of his accomplishments, David Frantz felt Radio Station WWRB was God’s great work through him. Radio Station WWRB helped ministries bring the Gospel to every corner of the world using shortwave radio technology. While shortwave radios have largely disappeared in the United States, shortwave remains one of the main forms of communications in developing nations. David received countless letters from people all over the world, from places as far as Japan and the South Sea Islands, confirming reception and receipt of salvation from the Word of God. On Jan 2nd, 2022, David L. Frantz Jr was taken back home by the good Lord; he passed away from a severe stroke at the age of 65. He is survived by his wife, Roseanne, his son, David, his daughter-in-law, Elizabeth, and his daughter, Angela, who were all with him in his final moments. A man who always encouraged others and looked to achieve the most out of life, one of his favorite sayings was “Nothing ventured, nothing gained.” A scholarship is planned in his remembrance with MTSU to help support young pilots in training from the local Tennessee area. Visitation with the family will be held on Saturday, February 19, 2022, from 12:00pm noon until 2:00pm at Central Funeral Home in Manchester, TN. A memorial service will be held immediately following visitation at 2:00pm in the chapel of Central Funeral Home. Central Funeral Home is serving the family, 931-723-7774, centralfuneralhome.com