Obituary of Francis Grimes

Frank Grimes was born on January 3, 1917 in Washington D.C. and died on November 11, 2013 in Palm City, Florida. He is preceded in death by his parents, Frank and Esther Grimes, his wife of 45 years Ramona (Polly) Grimes, a daughter Barrie Lin Grimes and sister Vera Barker, brother Robert Grimes and sister Esther Buscher. He is survived by his wife of 20 years, Dorothy Walker Grimes, and by two daughters Suzanne Grimes of El Sobrante, Ca. and Alicia Grimes, and her husband F. Ward Gaines, both of Takoma Park, MD. He is also survived by 9 grandchildren and 7 great grandchildren, and one brother, Daniel Grimes of Southern Pines NC.

Frank's family lived in Southeast Washington until 1922, and then Fredericksburg, VA until 1927. When they returned to Washington, during the depression, he and his siblings all helped support the family while they were in school.

Frank graduated from Eastern High School in 1935, and immediately took a job as an auditor with Riggs Bank in Washington, DC. He simultaneously enrolled in Columbus University (now Catholic University) for night school and graduated in 1939. He quickly got a job with the FBI in 1939, and was the bureau's youngest recruit. After assignments in Pittsburgh, Cleveland and Jackson, MS, Frank was assigned to Caracas,Venezuela Santiago, Chile, and Bogota, Colombia, where he conducted counter-intelligence work throughout WWII as a special agent. In Chile, he met Ramona (Polly) Perkins and they were married in 1945 in Panama.

After the war, Frank joined Chase National Bankpredecessor to Chase Manhattan Bank-- in1945 and was assigned to San Juan Puerto Rico until he transferred to New York as a Vice President overseeing Latin America operations. There he lived in Babylon, Long Island, and commuted to New York City. He spent 18 years in New York before returning to Caracas in 1967 to assume Chase's representation at Banco Mercantily Agricola, in which Chase owned a 49% interest. In 1976 Frank took early retirement from Chase but stayed on with the same financial group, ultimately becoming President of Diners Club de Venezuela before fully retiring in 1980.

Frank and Polly returned to Westport, Connecticut but spent time in Port Saint Lucie, FL as snowbirds and golfers. After Polly's death in 1991, Frank married Dorothy Walker Greeley widow of the late Joe Greeley, Pan American Captain, both of Stuart, FL at the time. Dottie and Frank have relished their close friendship and their many adventures to Europe, South America and Africa during the last twenty years. They have enjoyed their homes in Connecticut and Stuart, FL, and their great friends and family.

A memorial service is planned for Frank in Palm City, FL, in January 2014

A guest book may be signed at www.foresthillsfunerals.com