Frank Schlick Memorial Endowment Fund

Ask Carin Schlick to describe her late husband, Frankie, and though her eyes well with tears, a proud smile shines through. Perfect. Present. Handy. Smart. Athletic. Loving. Caring. Generous. These are all words that come to mind when relfecting on "the complete perfect person" that she shared 21 years of marriage and raised two children with. 

"Anyone who knew Frankie loved him. You could see his heart from a mile away," said Carin, of Chippewa Falls, who met her husband her first day of college. She went on to receive a degree in service administration and business from UW-Madison while Frankie earned his in engineering.

Tragically, Frankie, an engineer and technical writer at Cray Inc., passed away in February of 2013, at the age of 46 after a hard-fought battle with esophageal cancer. "Frankie showed such an incredible spirit during his illness," said his sister, Susan Westbrook, of White Bear Lake, Minnesota. "His attitude was incredible. He remained positive. He never gave up hope. He never complained. He looked to use his illness to inspire others to be positive and find a deeper meaning in things."

Before Frankie died- and with his input- the family established this donor advised Endowment Fund. "I thank Frankie's family for starting the Community Foundation fund," Carin said. "As we were spending the last weeks and days together, they established and organized the fund. The kids and I are so grateful to them. Besides our faith, both of our families gave us so much support. They were with us every step of the way."