Frank Tells All...
Posted by Tove Bowman
on Feb 22, 2012
Today it was was Frank Solich's chance to tell it all, but I suspect he still has a few secrets up his sleeve. Frank is our newest member to Fonthill Rotary, and we are glad to have him and his smiling face among us.
Frank was born towards the end of WW II in a tiny place called Priesen, in East Germany. (I tried to locate Priesen on the Goggle Map, and the arrow stopped in the middle of a field- so it really must be a small place). Anyway, Frank's parents were able to get out ahead of the Russians, and made it to West Germany, when he was just nine months old. Frank and his father immigrated to Canada in 1952. His mother followed a year later, and in 1954 his sister and grandparent arrived.
The first six years were difficult, and they moved just about every year, looking for work where they could find it, and at one time the family worked in the tobacco region (Western Ontario) picking tobacco.
The family eventually settled in Richmond Hill, where Frank graduated from High School. His first job was with Boyle-Midway Canada Ltd., as a merchandiser. After a transfer to Halifax, where he found his wife, Frank returned to Ontario and the Kitchener region as a top salesman. Frank does not strike me as a 'salesman' at all - it must be his pleasant smile that does it!
In 1982, Frank joined the Rotary Club of Etobicoke, where he served as President 1989 -1990. Frank has later started his own consulting and sales agency. He finally moved to Fonthill in 2007, to be nearer his son and grand daughters in Cleveland.
Frank has volunteered for Salvation Army in Welland, where he managed their food bank, and did some counseling. He still does some volunteer work for the Salvation Army.
We are glad to have you among us, Frank, and we hope you will enjoy our little group.
Frank was born towards the end of WW II in a tiny place called Priesen, in East Germany. (I tried to locate Priesen on the Goggle Map, and the arrow stopped in the middle of a field- so it really must be a small place). Anyway, Frank's parents were able to get out ahead of the Russians, and made it to West Germany, when he was just nine months old. Frank and his father immigrated to Canada in 1952. His mother followed a year later, and in 1954 his sister and grandparent arrived.
The first six years were difficult, and they moved just about every year, looking for work where they could find it, and at one time the family worked in the tobacco region (Western Ontario) picking tobacco.
The family eventually settled in Richmond Hill, where Frank graduated from High School. His first job was with Boyle-Midway Canada Ltd., as a merchandiser. After a transfer to Halifax, where he found his wife, Frank returned to Ontario and the Kitchener region as a top salesman. Frank does not strike me as a 'salesman' at all - it must be his pleasant smile that does it!
In 1982, Frank joined the Rotary Club of Etobicoke, where he served as President 1989 -1990. Frank has later started his own consulting and sales agency. He finally moved to Fonthill in 2007, to be nearer his son and grand daughters in Cleveland.
Frank has volunteered for Salvation Army in Welland, where he managed their food bank, and did some counseling. He still does some volunteer work for the Salvation Army.
We are glad to have you among us, Frank, and we hope you will enjoy our little group.
