WHETTEN, Frank Leon

The Daily Courier, Prescott, Arizona Monday, July 18, 2011 Frank Leon Whetten, 54, died July 7, 2011. A memorial will take place in Arizona on Aug. 13, 2011. Details can be found at http://www.flwhetten.com. Born Aug. 18, 1956, to Merrill and Frances Brown Whetten, in Cottonwood, Ariz., he is survived by his partner, Bette Joram; mother, Fran Whetten of Cottonwood, Ariz.; brother, Ross; daughter, Julie; son, Dennis; and former wife of 28 years, Ara Whetten. Graduated from Chaparral High School, Scottsdale, Ariz., he served in the Air Force from 1974 until 1981. He received his BS in Electrical Engineering in 1986, MS in 1989 and Ph.D. in 1993 from ASU. On the faculty of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, 1993-2003, he taught electrical engineering and computer science. Frank served on the board and as chairman for the Groom Creek Fire District. Frank was a Boeing Welliver Fellow in 2000. He worked for Connexion by Boeing, then Boeing Commercial Aircraft from 2003-2011; he was awarded Associate Technical Fellow. He was an active member of the WiFi Alliance, the IEEE, and served on RTCA Special Committee 202. An avid hiker and mountain climber, Frank loved the Arizona desert, slick rock country and slot canyons. He made 12 trips into the Grand Canyon, traveled to 50 countries and took spectacular photographs. He wrote travelogues to his family and colleagues from around the world. He lives on through his pictures and the experiences he shared with us. He inspired others through his own example of dedication and achievement. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in Frank's honor to the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, Wash.; http://getinvolved.fhcrc.org/goto/Frank.Whetten. Information provided by survivors.