Frank Kokot, 79

Frank Kokot, 79, died April 26, 2014, at Hospice House in Hayden.

Frank was born September 26, 1934, in Lackawanna, N.Y., to Nicholas Kokot and Catherine Stosic Kokot. The family moved to Fontana, Calif., in 1946 and Frank attended Chaffey High School and Chaffey Junior College.

Frank met Marilyn Parker in 1954, and they married in 1958 in Woodland Hills, Calif. He enlisted in the U.S. Air Force as a flight mechanic in 1955, and was honorably discharged in 1961. After the Air Force, Frank was hired on at North American Aviation to work on rocket engines. He helped build the F-1, J-2 and other engines that put man on the moon. While there, he met the first seven astronauts and Verner Von Braun.

Frank loved to travel with his wife. They went to Europe and Australia, and took several cruises. As a family, there were several trips around the U.S. visiting national parks and seeing the country. When the family traveled to Alaska in 1966, they stopped to see his nephew Mike Kokot and fell in love with North Idaho.

In 1971, Frank and family moved to Athol, and have lived there since. Frank continued working as a mechanic, and worked for the DTNSRD (U.S. Navy) in Bayview as a rigger. He retired in 1996. Besides working on automobiles, Frank developed an interest in serving as a volunteer. In 1982, he worked as an EMT with the newly formed Bayview Athol Quick Response Unit.

Frank then volunteered for the Athol Fire Department, becoming Assistant Fire Chief; and the Bayview Fire Department, also serving as Assistant Fire Chief; was a member of the Kootenai County Sheriff's Posse; and a member of the Citizens on Patrol Program. After 32 years of dedication, he retired from volunteering in 2013.

Frank is survived by his loving wife, Marilyn; sons, David (Robyn) of Spokane, Wash., and Dan, of Boise, Idaho; brother, Nick, of West Seneca, N.Y.; four grandchildren, and two great grandchildren, as well as his special dog, Daisy.

A gathering of friends and family of Frank Kokot will be held from 2-4 p.m., Saturday, May 10, at the Bayview Community Center, 20298 E. Perimeter Road, Bayview. Donations in Frank's memory may be made to Hospice of North Idaho, or the charity of your choice.