Francis Edward Ganz

Beloved father, grandfather, great-grandfather, Frank Ganz, recently of Frederick, Maryland, long-time resident of West Hempstead, New York, passed away on the morning of February 21, 2026.  Frank is survived by his three sons, James (Ellen), John (Melissa), and Thomas, three grandchildren: April Battle (Daniel), Kathryn, and Matthew; and two great-grandchildren: Nolan and Charlotte Battle.  He was predeceased by his wife, Barbara, who died in 2010. 

He was born in Brooklyn, New York on July 19, 1934, to Frank and Rosemary Ganz (nee Rooke).  He was the oldest of seven siblings, predeceased by Gary, Robert, and Carol.  He is survived by his siblings, Patricia, Rosemary, and William.  He was proud to have grown up close to Ebbets Field where the Brooklyn Dodgers played – where he was able to see many ballgames.  After graduating High School, he enlisted in the U.S. Army, where he spent almost two years living overseas in Korea and Japan at the tail end of the Korean conflict.

After returning, he began working for Trans World Airlines, where he had a career spanning more than 30 years.  After marrying Barbara Kunz in October 1960, they and their three boys embarked on a multi-year adventure in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia in October 1973, where Frank was contracted to work for Saudi Arabian Airlines helping the carrier to expand from a regional to an international airline.  The family was able to travel throughout the Middle East, Africa, and Europe during their three years there.  Upon returning in 1977, he returned to TWA to continue working for them, expanding the airline’s operation further.  He was an avid softball player for the company team in Saudi Arabia and for TWA; and won several first-place trophies as the pitcher for their teams.

After retiring from TWA in the early 1990s, he embarked on a second career at Dick’s Sporting Good managing incoming and outgoing inventory for the store at Carle Place, New York.

As well as baseball and softball, Frank was a long-time fan of the New York Islanders.  He loved fishing and travelling with his wife.

He was a long-time member of St. Andrews Lutheran Church in West Hempstead, NY, and served as an usher and a church council member.

In August of 2026, he and Thomas moved to Frederick, MD to be closer to his other two sons and their families. 

The family plans to celebrate his life at a later date.