On Wednesday August 10, 2005, we got the call from the nursing home that our dear friend Frank had passed away peacefully in a chair in the TV room. We made a few phone calls and headed down there as soon as we got the message. The nurses had not let Frank leave yet; they had kept him in his room so that we could say goodbye. We were left alone with Frank and we said goodbye and told him that we would see him in Mobile. One way or another, we would make sure that he made it back to be buried with his mother. And we would travel down there for the services.
After Frank's death, we were in touch with some of his other friends in the area. We met Bob and Angela, who had been really close friends with Frank for many years, and had helped to get him admitted to the nursing home when he had no longer been able to live by himself in his apartment. They decided that they would go to Mobile for the services too. We met up with them at their house for dinner prior to the trip. They were very nice people and we shared a lot of memories about how Frank had touched our lives. We were sure that Frank would have been happy that we got to know each other.
We made all of the arrangements with the local funeral parlor: delivering Frank's clothes (including a B.B. King lapel pin we had gotten from B.B. himself), and arranging for them to transport Frank to Mobile, where he would be picked up by the funeral parlor down there.
We were in touch with Eloise (Frank's sister), and we got an unexpected phone call from his daughter Bernice (also known as Karmilla Ali for her jazz singing career). They told us that the services would be on Saturday the 20. We made hotel reservations and booked flights for Friday the 19th with Bob and Angela.
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Bob, Angela, Craig, and Steph toasting Frank at O'Charley's, Mobile, AL - P8190126
Angela, Bob, Frank's daughter Karmilla, Craig, Steph in the lobby of the Mobile Marriott - P8190127 - Copy
Frank's daughter Karmilla, her partner Don, and Craig at the Mobile Marriott - P8200130
Karmilla's house - P8200132
Frank rides in style to the cemetery - P8200145
Mt. Sinai Missionary Baptist Church, Mobile, AL Frank was laid out in the front of the church. He looked very stylish in his suit and pink shirt. He had his B.B. pin on his lapel, and we knew that there was also a backstage pass in his coat pocket. We paid our respects and met Frank's 93-year-old widow Beatrice. We sat down in a pew a couple of rows back on the right-hand side of the church. There were several large flower arrangements, and from our seat we could see that one of the biggest ones (an arrangement of tropical flowers) was from B.B. King. A man came over and told Craig when he would be speaking. The funeral started at around 11-ish. There was a small choir. Karmilla's friend sang some beautiful solos, including a very touching version of "I'll Fly Away.". It was a very moving ceremony, and it viewed Frank's passing as a "homegoing celebration." It was really quite inspiring. Craig and Bob spoke about their friendship with Frank, and Frank's nephew who had once visited him in Massachusetts several years ago also spoke. They read some sympathy cards aloud. The service ended at 12:30 p.m., and we joined the automobile procession to the cemetery. - P8200137
Three generations: Karmilla with her mother Beatrice and her son - P8200138
Frank's brother-in-law Joe, sister Eloise, and Jerome - P8200139
We went back to the church hall for lunch. There was a punch bowl full of lemonade which was very refreshing after being out in the heat. They were serving fried chicken, homemade macaroni and cheese, green beans, potato salad, and rolls. It was delicious. We sat at a small table with Bob and Angela. Eloise, Joe (the widower of Frank's sister Rebecca), and Jerome sat with us. We reminisced about Frank. Eloise and Joe told us that he used to deliver fish on a motorcycle, and we talked about how he used to sell peanuts at Mardi Gras. Eloise said that when Frank was younger and wanted to go somewhere, he would "hobo the train." - P8200140
Craig, Angela, Bob, Joe, Eloise, Jerome - P8200150
Joe asked us what our plans were for the evening. He lives across the street from Eloise and was going to have a fish fry. He invited us. We were quite touched and accepted the invitation. - P8200151
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We arrived at Eloise's house shortly before 7. Eloise and her daughter Patricia directed us across the street to Joe's house. We went inside and immediately recognized the house from a bunch of Frank's Christmas photos. It turned out that when he came to visit Mobile, Frank stayed with Joe. We saw Joe and he was genuinely happy that we had come by. We spoke to him about his deceased wife Rebecca. It is obvious that he was totally devoted to her, and misses her terribly. Both she and Frank's other sister Jessie Mae died back in 2001. Joe showed us around the house. He showed us photos of Rebecca and let us look through some of his photo albums. Everyone gathered around the table to say grace. We all held hands. As guests, they insisted that we eat first. The food was delicious. There were fried catfish filets, decadent macaroni and cheese, rolls, potato salad, corn, cole slaw, and fried chicken. They insisted that we sit on the leather couches on the back porch to eat. Everything was delicious, and we washed it down with red Kool-Aid. - P8200153
Joe's Saturday night fish fry - P8200156
Craig hanging with the guys at the fish fry