Frank L. Peck

If the measure of a man is the quality of his work, Frank L. Peck surely and solidly made his mark in circles around the globe. During his long, colorful career and fulfilling life, he associated with some of the world’s top leaders and made an impact in every position he held. Frank L. Peck was born on Sept. 23, 1932, in Providence, Rhode Island. He was the oldest son of Theodore Toby Peck and Hazel Gavigan. His grandfather was Frank L. Peck, his namesake, who helped found the Green Bay Packers football franchise in 1919. Curly Lambeau worked for the elder Frank at the Indian Packing Company, a wartime meat packing industry in Green Bay where the squad received its namesake, “the Packers.” Frank spent most of his early and adolescent years in Springfield, Mass., and on Martha’s Vineyard. His long career with PepsiCo began in Springfield as a bottle washer at the age of 16 and he eventually worked his way through corporate management. In 1952, at the age of 20, Frank was promoted to Assembly Line General Manager and Route and Sales Manager. In 1961, he was transferred to Houston and served as General Manager over all bottling operations in the region. Two years later, he relocated to manage operations in Phoenix, Ariz. In 1968, at the age of 36, Frank became President of the Michigan Group Bottlers and oversaw bottling operations for the entire state. While in Michigan, he and Margie married and their youngest son, Frank Lee Peck, was born in Royal Oak in 1970. As PepsiCo gained market share overseas in the early ‘70s, Frank and his family were transferred to the Philippines in 1971 where he began overseeing international bottling operations and served as president of the entire Philippines operation. While there, they worked and became family friends with the Marcos family, including former President Ferdinand Marcos and First Lady Imelda (best known for her extravagant collection of shoes) and his fun-loving sister, Gov. Elizabeth Keon of Ilocos Norte. From his success in the Philippines, PepsiCo promoted Frank to be the first executive management leader to transfer from PepsiCo into Frito Lay in Dallas. He served as the Vice President of Marketing and Sales until 1976 and worked directly with Herman and Mimi Lay. In 1977, Frank was promoted to President of Wilson Sporting Goods in Chicago, Illinois, another division of PepsiCo. While at Wilson, Frank enjoyed most scouting and signing professional athletes to sponsor their first sporting equipment contract, including John McEnroe in tennis and Greg Norman in golf, to work with many notable Wilson staff athletes, including, Chris Everett, Patty Burg, Walter Payton, Chichi Rodriguez, Lefty Gomez and Jimmy Conner, who was known as “Peck’s bad boy” with the Wilson management team. After that year, Frank was called back to PepsiCo headquarters in Purchase, New York, to lead as Vice President of the Worldwide Concentrate Division where he was one of two living people who knew and guarded the secret formula for Pepsi and the flavors worldwide. He enjoyed traveling the world building corporate partnerships and friends while negotiating and procuring key ingredients for Pepsi and the flavors. In 1983, he was ready to return to what he enjoyed most – frontline sales and the bottling business, so he subsequently resigned from PepsiCo after 31 years in good stead to join a privately held Pepsi family franchise based in Marion, Ill., which operated in parts of five Midwestern states. In 1985, the Pecks moved to Abilene, where Frank joined ABTEX Beverage Group and served as President and General Manager before officially retiring from the bottling business. Frank also enjoyed his service as a long-time city councilman in Clyde where he was instrumental in helping the city gain profitability and growth. He also loved working with Margie as co-owner of RE/MAX of Abilene where he considered himself a “part-timer” and chief bottle washer – coming full circle from his first childhood job back in Springfield. Frank celebrated many career accomplishments throughout his lifetime, but he considered his proudest moments and greatest achievements to be his family. They enjoyed life to the fullest and always looked at the next assignment as a fun adventure. Frank was preceded in death by his oldest son, Gregory P. Peck, and first grandson, Brandon J. Coleman. He is survived by his wife, Margie Peck, and their three children: Rebecca Helms, Debra Coleman and Frank L. Peck, Jr. and his wife, Amber; five grandchildren: Samantha Severa and her husband, Joe, Morgan Coleman, Nick Nichol, Sutton Peck and Braxton Peck; and one great-grandchild, Joseph Severa. He is also survived by his brother, Dr. Robert Oppenheimer, and his wife, Wendy. A memorial service honoring Frank L. Peck will be Monday, June 22, 2015, at 2:00 p.m. at The Hamil Family Funeral Home, 6449 Buffalo Gap Road. The service will be officiated by Rev. Felicia Hopkins, senior pastor of St. Paul United Methodist Church.