Franklin Edward Manzer Obituary (1932 - 2018)

Old Town - Franklin Edward 'Frank' Manzer, 86, died on June 15, 2018, in Old Town, after a long illness. Frank was born on February 28, 1932, in Presque Isle, the son of Frank L. Manzer and Dorothy I. (Morse) Manzer. Frank graduated from Presque Isle High School in 1949 and the University of Maine at Orono with a B.S. in Botany in 1955. He received his Ph.D. in Plant Pathology from Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa, in 1958. He then joined the faculty at the University of Maine where he continued his research on potato diseases for 35 years until his retirement in 1994. Surviving are his wife of 63 years, Margaret (Peggy); two sons, Edward L. (Ted) Manzer and his wife, Roberta, of Winfall, NC, and James C. Manzer and his partner, Selene Marett, of Gray; two daughters, Marjorie A. (Margie) Klitch and her husband, Tim, of Fort Collins, CO, and Melanie Manzer Kyer and husband, Jeffrey, of York; grandchildren, Anthony (Tony), Joel, and Robin Klitch of Fort Collins, CO, Daniel, Oliver, and Grace Manzer of NC, and Maxwell and Robert Kyer of York; as well as three great-grandchildren, Karson and Karlee Klitch of Fort Collins, CO, and Sterling Manzer of Clayton, NC. In addition, he is survived by two sisters, Nancy Jones of Sequim, WA, and Victoria Andrews of Seattle, WA. Frank belonged to many professional societies including the American Phytopathological Society, the International Phytopathological Society, the American Potato Association, Phi Kappa Phi, Alpha Zeta, and the FFA. Author of many scientific articles throughout his career, he was world renowned for his research with potato ring rot, late blight, and virus diseases. He was a pioneer in aerial photographic experiments with infra-red film to detect potato diseases from the air, photos of which appeared in National Geographic in 1969. One of his special loves was flying, especially in his Cessna 170B, which he owned for 36 years. He also enjoyed hunting, fishing, his camp at Big Lake his Model A Ford, a good game of cribbage, and writing limericks for his friends. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Stillwater Federated Church Mission Fund, Box #386, Stillwater, ME 04489. Visiting hours will be held from 4-7 p.m. on Saturday, June 23, 2018, at Birmingham Funeral Home, 438 Main St. in Old Town. Services will be held at 2 p.m. on Sunday, June 24, at the Stillwater Federated Church at 335 Bennoch Road, Stillwater, with the Rev. Dr. Tracy Reeves officiating.