Frank L. Wrigglesworth, 87, was born March 9, 1917, to Dr. Frank B. and Mollie (Kassabaum) Wrigglesworth and raised in Eau Claire. He passed away at his home on Monday, November 29, 2004. Frank attended St. Patrick's Grade School and graduated from Eau Claire Senior High School in 1935, where he was an outstanding athlete, lettering basketball, football, and track. In 1933 and 1934 his team was undefeated in football and basketball. He was selected All Conference Quarterback at UW-Eau Claire as a freshman. He was also on the basketball team for all four years of college.\r\n"Wrig," as he was known, coached and taught at Washburn High School from 1940 to 1941 until he entered the Army Air Corps as a Flying Cadet. He graduated from basic flying school at Randolph Field and advanced flying school at Brooks Field, both in Texas.\r\nLieutenant Wrigglesworth married Geraldine L. Woodford on February 20, 1942, at Scott Air Force Base in Illinois. They spent 25 years as an Air Force family. Wrig spent time in Alaska, Canada, Aleutians, Korea, and at many stateside bases. He was assigned to the First Tactical B-52 group at Loring Air Force Base in Maine. He flew many types of both reciprocal and jet aircraft; he was a command pilot. Frank retired in 1963 from the U.S. Air Force as Lt. Colonel at Maxwell Air Force Base in Alabama.\r\nAfter completing his master's degree from the UW-Madison, he joined his mentor and high school coach, Ade Olson, at UW-Eau Claire. He was the backfield coach at UW-Eau Claire until 1975, when he took over as Head Golf Coach. He was also the Head Baseball Coach for seven years. Wrig was an assistant freshman football coach at UW-Madison on two occasions, once while teaching AFROTC and one year while in graduate school. He also activated the AFROTC program at St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota; he was an assistant football coach there for three years. Wrig was inducted into the UW-Eau Claire Blugold Hall of Fame in 1985 and NAIA District 14 Hall of Fame in 1990. The highlight of his teaching career at UW-Eau Claire was the experience of working with the thousands of students he taught in the lifetime sports of golf, downhill skiing, and cross country skiing.\r\nWrig's Blugold teams won their way to national competition in golf many times, and he, himself, was an accomplished golfer. He and his wife, Geri, were very active throughout their lives, enjoying not only golf and skiing, but also square and round dancing, physical fitness activities and many social activities.\r\nFrank will be sadly missed by his children, grandchildren, and many relatives and friends throughout the area.\r\nHe was preceded in death by his wife, Geri, in 1998; parents; brother, Bill; and sister, Betty.\r\nFrank is survived by three daughters, Gayle L. Pulley and her husband, A. M. Pulley, Jr., of Lafayette, CA, Nancy W. Lee of Boulder, CO, and Jodi W. Carlson and her husband, Rod, of Longmont, CO; six grandchildren, Amy Lee Olson and her husband, Tony, of Madison, Joel Don Lee of Aspen, CO, Jeffrey Marshall Pulley and his wife Amanda, of Rio Vista, CA, Tiffany Blake Sloan and her husband, Brock, of Beaver Creek, CO, Whitney Reed Carlson of Fort Collins, CO, and Taylor Blake Carlson of Longmont, CO; and one great grandchild, Cooper Bennett Olson of Madison.\r\nMass of Christian Burial will be held 10:30 a.m. Saturday, December 4, 2004, at St. Patrick's Catholic Parish with Father William A. Dhein officiating. Burial will be in Forest Hill Cemetery where American Legion Post #53 will conduct military rites. Family and friends may call from 4 to 7 p.m. Friday at Lenmark-Gomsrud-Linn Funeral Home and one hour prior to services Saturday at the church.\r\nFrank's family requests that memorials please be directed to the Frank and Geri Wrigglesworth Scholarship Fund payable to University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire Foundation, Schofield Hall Room 214, PO Box 4004, Eau Claire, WI 54702-4004 or to Northwest Wisconsin Homecare Hospice, PO Box 2060, Eau Claire, WI 54702-2060.

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