LUDLOW, Vt. – Frank Poucher Wingate, 90, of Ludlow, Vt., passed away peacefully at his home on Lake Rescue, on May 20, with his beloved wife of 68 years, Anne, at his side.
Frank was born in 1935, to Frank Sr. and Avice (Piper) Wingate, in Orange, N.J. He grew up in White Plains, N.Y., and spent summers at the home that his grandfather and great-grandfather, Ralph and Nelson Piper, built on Lake Rescue in 1905, fostering a deep love for lake life and Vermont.
Frank attended Williams College, where he studied American history and literature, and played basketball and football. In a fortuitous and memorable moment during his senior year, he met the love of his life, Anne Lynch. Frank and Anne married in 1958, and after several years moved to Collinsville, Conn.
Frank worked in business in New York and Connecticut before deciding to teach American history at Canton High School and coach football. He later served as research director at the State Capitol and loved telling the story of once flying a paper airplane from beneath the Capitol’s gold dome. He worked in banking before spending the final years of his career writing policy for the Department of Children and Families, work that he found both meaningful and challenging.
A passionate student of history, politics, and public policy, Frank was a thoughtful conversationalist whose curiosity and knowledge enriched the lives of those around him. He was also known for his unwavering loyalty to the New York Giants – win or lose.
Retiring in 1995, Frank and Anne moved permanently to Vermont after their son, Daniel, transformed the family’s longtime Lake Rescue cottage into a year-round home where generations of family could gather and create lasting memories. Frank continued to contribute his time and passion to various causes and served on the Lake Rescue Association board for many years, working to eliminate milfoil from Lake Rescue.
Frank leaves behind a legacy of deep love for his family, for Lake Rescue, and for the beauty of nature. He will be greatly missed by all who knew him.
He is survived by his wife, Anne Wingate; his daughter, Lisa Wingate Geissler, and her husband, Frank Geissler, of Farmington, Conn.; his daughter-in-law, Cheryl Wingate, of Tolland, Conn.; and four grandchildren, Karissa Wingate and her husband, Daniel Keener, of Willington, Conn., Casey Wingate and his wife, Alyssa, of Tolland, Conn., Michael Geissler, of Orlando, Fla., and Emma Geissler and her husband, Peter, of Denmark. He was also blessed with three great-grandchildren, Melody Wingate, and Saydra and Arden Keener.
Frank was predeceased by his beloved son, Daniel Wingate, in 2022.
Services will be held at Old Parish Church in Weston, Vt., on July 18, at 2 p.m., and at First Church of Christ, Congregational, in Farmington, Conn., on July 25, at 2 p.m.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that memorial donations be made to your favorite organization or charity. We hope that those wishing to honor Frank’s memory spend time enjoying the outdoors, the beauty of Vermont, and the company of family and friends.