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Submitted: 4/1/24 • Approved: 4/9/24 • Last Updated: 4/12/24 • R1526012-G0-S3
May 15, 1955 ~ March 20, 2024
*Obituary
Frank Clifford Lukac left this earthly realm March 20, 2024, after a prolonged and courageous battle with Lewy body dementia, at the age of 68. Gone, but certainly never forgotten; the love, passion, laughter, and strength he shared while here will live on and endure through family, friends and others he met along life's journey.
Frank was born to parents, John, and Sara, on May 15, 1955, in Berwyn, Illinois. Brother of Julie Jean, Lee Anne, and Mark. After graduating from Morton West high school, he pursued an education in environmental law at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. Prior to attending university, Frank married the love of his life, Joan Frances Lukac (nee Dwall), whom he met in high school, and had three sons together: Matthew Mark, Joshua John, Zachary Joseph. He was grandfather to Tyler Joseph. Joanie remained by Frankie's side, ever faithfully, ever lovingly, until his last days.
On any given weekend, Frank could be found, knee-deep in any of the various streams of Baxter or Marion counties, always with one of his handcrafted rods (of his own skilled making); his hands-down favorite being a day's long excursion among the meandering verdant banks of Crooked Creek near Yellville, Arkansas. He not only shared his love of angling for smallmouth or "bronzebacks" (as he often referred to his favorite quarry) and passion for conservation of the natural world with family and friends, but also with fellow anglers as well as the general public of the area: being an active member of the Ozarks Chapter of the Arkansas Smallmouth Bass Club, always a staunch advocate for conservation of waterways and nature, in general. He most definitely instilled this passion and respect of nature into his sons.
Frank was initiated, passed and raised as a Brother of the Fraternal Order of Freemasons in 1977, of the Riverside, Illinois lodge. He was accompanied by good friends Michael Marecek and Ronald Jelinek. He also owned and operated Carnovale-Granata bakery in Bridgeport, Illinois alongside his father, John, for much of the 1980's. They were well known to make some of the best breads and Italian sausage in all of the Chicago-land area. He put the fast paced mode of living behind, opting to move the family to Mountain Home, Arkansas in 1991, where he worked until retirement in 2017.
Some other of his favorite hobbies included fly-tying, listening to his classic rock vinyl collection, canoeing, swimming & free-diving, reading, hiking, playing baseball with his sons as well as watching the Cubs play. He often reminisced about trips with Joanie to the mountains of the western United States and other locales. He also frequented the lakes of north central Arkansas and was known to brave a leap or two from the bluffs, every now and then.
Intelligent, stoic, compassionate, creative, steadfast, loyal, selfless are but a few of the attributes that can be associated with who Frank is. A family man through and through, he lived his life within friendship, love and truth. He will ALWAYS be loved and missed. Wish You Were Here
Source:diamondstatecremation.com
Contributed on 4/1/24 by ashaw444
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Record #: 1526012