Francis J. “Frank” Handley

Francis Joseph Handley, 82, died May 14, 2008 at Mat-Su Regional Medical Center in Palmer.

Services with military honors will be held at 2 p.m.,Friday, May 23 at Pioneer Peak Baptist Church, 4355 Old Glenn Highway in Palmer. Pastor Dan Jeffrey will officiate. Interment will be at Delta Junction Cemetery at 10 a.m. on May 27.

Handley was born Feb. 11, 1926 in Providence, R.I. As a young man he worked for Western Union, SPCA and helped polio patients at a local hospital.

When the call to arms came for World War II, Handley answered the call by enlisting in the Navy at the age of 17. He spent three years in the Pacific as a machinist mate. At the end of the war he returned home to work as a mechanic at a garage and as an apprentice electrician.

When the Korean War started, Handley enlisted in the Army and served as a tank commander. He was wounded in action and was awarded the Purple Heart. In between his second and third tours in Korea, he married Rosemary Popp on Jan. 2, 1957 and was stepfather to her 8-year-old son John. Together Frank and Rose had three children: Irene, Michael and Anita, who they raised in Delta Junction while also volunteering at the Delta Fire Department.

Handley retired from the Army at Ft. Greely and soon after went to work for the State Department of Transportation in Fairbanks. He retired from the state in 1979 and later moved to Kenai Keys in Sterling where he continued his hobby of fishing. In 2003 he moved to Palmer to be close to his youngest daughter and son-in-law.

His family wrote, “Frank enjoyed serving his country, reading his newspaper, listening to talk radio, music and being with friends and family. He was a great cook and baker. He was a dedicated husband and a wonderful dad and hero to his children. He leaves a very big hole in their lives.”

Frank is survived by his children and their mates Irene Handley, Michael and Jessica Handley and, Steve and Anita Hill, stepdaughter-in-law Carol Kurcaba; step-grandchildren Chad, Ryan, Shelby, and step great-granddaughter Emma.

Handley was preceded in death by his wife, Rosemary Handley Popp, and stepson John Popp.

Valley Funeral Homes & Crematory of Wasilla and Palmer are assisting the family.