Dave Frenchak Obituary

Frenchak, Dave Born May 1st, 1942, passed suddenly of a heart attack on May 15, 2016.He was born and raised in Butler, Pennsylvania and was the third of Nick and Anne Frenchak's six children.He is survived by his siblings, Marjorie (Walt) Danylak, Jim (Debbi) Frenchak, and Steve (Ora) Frenchak. It is impossible to begin or end or to enumerate the impact of Dave Frenchak.It is impossible to capture, quantify, and express all that Dave's person meant and means.His love of life, justice, mercy and grace were so deftly interwoven into his spirit and person.And this same spirit permeated all aspects of his life whether personal, community-bound, or public-driven.He serenely integrated depth and dimension as he cultivated beautiful souls, foundations, and theology. The word and the works of Dave's life were masterful, kind and conscious.His work is an anthology of visions and actions to advance and nurture the Kingdom of God here on earth, premised and sustained on the divinity of faith, love, care and justice.He held a Master of Divinity from Bethel Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota and a Doctor of Ministry in pastoral counseling from Andover Newton Theological Seminary in Boston. Whether pastoring a church in the Dorchester neighborhood of Boston or leading the Seminary Consortium for Urban Pastoral Education (SCUPE) in Chicago for 36 years, Dave's ministry brought flesh to the belief of hope for humankind.He crafted an understanding of prophetic imagination that called forth leaders to envision and actualize God's care for those on the margins of society through grassroots community development. In the final years of his life, Dave's work birthed an intricate and composite framework for bringing God's presence to earth, through the theological analysis, education and partnership with Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary on public theology. Public theology energized Dave as a dynamic mechanism to call on each of us to act on our faith and hope for a better way for human life. Throughout his career, he continued to teach, educate and mentor, as well as counsel individuals through pastoral care and therapy, largely informed by Carl Jung's writings. The family feels such great sadness and deep loss at the passing of Dave Frenchak.His companionship was steadfast and lush, like green pastures.His care was ever present and still, like quiet waters.His love was unending, refreshing both the soul and spirit.His friendship, ever genuine and pure, was replete with guidance and counsel.In each moment, Dave's presence made it known that goodness and love abounded in all the days of life. He is survived by his wife, partner and love, Carol Ann McGibbon;he is also survived by his children and friends, Karis and Janis Frenchak;lastly, he is survived by the light of his eyes that are his grandsons, Kyle and Gabe Becerra-Frenchak. The memorial service will be held at the United Methodist Church and Temple at 77 W. Washington in Chicago on June 25th.A gathering reception will be held from 1:00-2:00 p.m. and the memorial service will be held from 2:00-3:30 p.m.