Obituary of Col. Frank S. Tarbell

Colonel Frank S. Tarbell, United States Army, retired, 89, of Clifton Park, passed away on October 10, 2017 at Home of the Good Shepherd in Saratoga Springs, NY.  Frank was born in 1928 to Phillip B. and Frances S. Tarbell, who raised him in East Haven, CT.  He graduated summa cum laude from Hopkins School in New Haven and enlisted in the Army just before the end of World War II.  He was sent to Korea, where he was a military policeman, served on the Honor Guard for the President of Korea, and was promoted to Staff Sergeant.  Upon returning to the U.S., he enrolled at Yale, where he was inducted into its engineering honor society, earned his officer’s commission through the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps, and, most importantly, married his high school sweetheart, June Carolyn Dube.  He graduated magna cum laude in 1951 with a degree in Civil Engineering.  He was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the Army Corps of Engineers at the height of the Korean and Cold Wars and assigned to upgrade strategically important military airfields in England.  

During his thirty-year military career, Frank served in a broad range of critical assignments that intersected with key events in US history.  As a young lieutenant, he earned the Legion of Merit and a personal commendation from the Governor of Connecticut for his role in helping that state cope with the catastrophic effects of Hurricane Diane in 1955.  After earning a Master’s Degree from Purdue University, he served behind the Iron Curtain as an Army Attaché in Warsaw, Poland.  He helped pioneer military satellite surveillance, including during the Cuban Missile Crisis; commanded an engineer battalion in South Korea; taught strategy at the Army Command and General Staff College; and, as chief engineer responsible for all US facilities on Okinawa, played a leading role in the negotiations over the reversion of the island to Japanese sovereignty.  He closed out his military career as the Professor of Military Science at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy.  Frank was awarded numerous military decorations and service medals, including the Legion of Merit three times for “exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services to the United States.”    

After hanging up his uniform, Frank served as the Director of Aviation for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, managing Republic Regional Airport on Long Island and Stewart International Airport near Newburgh, NY, where, in 1981, he had the honor of welcoming back to U.S. soil the Americans held hostage by Iran for more than a year.  He retired three years later, but returned again to public service in 1986, serving six years as the Director of Building for the Town of Clifton Park.  His work for the Town included charting the course of its future development by overhauling its zoning plan.

Frank’s civic responsibilities included serving as Chapter President of the Society of Military Engineers during four of his military assignments, leading several civic and homeowners’ associations, and holding membership in the American Legion and Elks Lodge.   

Frank loved his family, the Army, flying light aircraft, Orlando with the kids, and boating.  He most enjoyed spending summer days at camp on Great Sacandaga Lake with his devoted wife of 69 years, June Tarbell, who survives him.  He also is survived by his loving children David and Marlene Tarbell of Falls Church, VA, Greg and Shana Tarbell of Seattle, WA, and Kathryn (Kasia) and Vince Spadaro of Malta, NY; as well as his grandchildren, Caelan and Nicole Tarbell, Ben and Becca Tarbell, Jack Tarbell, Nicholas Spadaro, Christine and Ryan Murphy; and his great-granddaughter Abigail Murphy.   

Funeral services will be held at the Gordon C. Emerick Funeral Home, 1550 Rt. 9 Clifton Park, at 11:00 am on Wednesday October 18th. Friends and relatives are invited to call at the funeral home prior to the service from 10:00 - 11:00 a.m. Frank will be laid to rest with full military honors at Saratoga National Cemetery at 12:30 p.m.  Flowers welcome at funeral home; donations to WoundedWarriorProject.org