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June 2, 1922 – June 20, 2009
Dr. Frank Kittinger, age 87, passed away peacefully at home in Irvine surrounded by family members on June 20, 2009.
He is survived by his loving wife of 65 years, Julia Ann Parker Kittinger; his daughter and son-in-law, Linda and Pete Snetsinger; his sons and daughters-in-law, John and Sheryl Kittinger and Dave and Janet Kittinger. He was preceded in death by his daughter, Katherine Ann Karber (CHS 1965) and his sister, Gladys Ninemire. He is survived by granddaughters, Kimberly Williams and Christina Snetsinger and by grandsons, Jason Kittinger, Michael Kittinger and Steven Kittinger. He is survived by great-granddaughters, Mandie Williams, Josie Williams, Isabella Snetsinger, Adelae Kittinger, and great grandsons, Joseph Snetsinger and Jackson Kittinger.
Born in Pomona, Ca. to Frank Leslie Kittinger and Nellie Jones Kittinger, he helped his beekeeping father deliver prizewinning honey as a child. Graduating from Claremont High School in 1939, he enlisted in 1943 in the Army Air Corps and became a flight instructor and B-17 pilot.
After the war ended, he attended La Verne College to prepare as a teacher and start a long successful career as an educator. He was the first Superintendent of the Charter Oak Unified School District and headed that district for 26 years of tremendous growth. He obtained his Masters from the Claremont Graduate School and his Doctorate from the University of Southern California School of Education with a specialization in school leadership and school design and construction. Under his leadership Charter Oak School District built 12 new schools and grew from an enrollment of 200 students to over 10,000.
He was an active member and Past President of Educare, the USC support group for the School of Education. Upon retirement from Charter Oak Unified, Dr. Kittinger taught for USC's School of Education Overseas Graduate Studies Program. Frank and his wife taught and lived in Germany, Spain, Guam, Korea and Japan. Following this, Frank was Admissions Director for the Los Angeles College of Chiropractic and then represented the college to other universities and colleges as he and his wife traveled in their motor home to over 200 campuses. A life long educator, he always strived to learn, grow and develop and to encourage this in others.
Frank had a love for his family and a great interest in his family's history. He and his wife attended Kittinger family reunions and enjoyed sharing information from the pages of the Civil War diary he had inherited. He loved the out of doors and was happy camping and attending Oregon Trail events. He kept in active touch with the Claremont Class of 39 members and for many years helped with the SAAB (Santa Ana Army Air Base) reunions at Orange Coast College. Frank loved the ruggedness, beauty and peacefulness of Buck Creek in Northern California where he and his wife and family spent many pleasant vacations surrounded by family members.
His celebration of life memorial ceremony will be held on the property on August 29, 2009 at Buck Creek, Ca.
~ Published in Orange County Register on Aug. 1, 2009
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