Frank Harris Larner, age 93, died peacefully at his residence at Panorama City in Lacey, Wash., on Sept. 18, 2016.

Frank was born in Galesburg, Ill., on Aug. 10, 1923, to Frank and Eula Cordell Larner. After graduating from Warsaw High School in 1942, he enlisted into the U.S. Army and served in World War II with the 3164th Signal Service Company in the Pacific Theater on the Island of Guam.

After his Honorable Discharge in 1946, he attended the University of Illinois where he received his Bachelor’s Degree. He married Verlee (Lee) Billings on Sept. 8, 1948, in Chicago whereupon they moved to Seattle where Frank earned his MBA at the University of Washington.

Upon graduation from the U of W, Frank received an offer to become an accountant at ITT Rayonier Pulp and Paper in Hoquiam, so he and Lee picked up and moved to Aberdeen. In the early 1950s he met Harold Preszler, joined the accounting firm of Stickney and Preszler and eventually became a partner. Today the CPA firm is identified as Preszler, Larner, Mertz and Co., LLC.

During his 50+ years in Grays Harbor, Frank was very active in the community. He was a founding member of the Grays Harbor College Foundation and past Chairman of Grays Harbor College Board of Trustees; a founding member, president and current trustee of the Grays Harbor Community Foundation; an active member of the Rotary Club of Aberdeen; past president of the Chamber of Commerce; member of the Kiwanis Club and belonged to the First United Methodist Church, Aberdeen. He was also honored in 1994 with the Washington State Society of CPA’s Vincent A. Gervais award for public service.

He is survived by his three children, David Larner (Linda) of Kent, Wash., Jacqueline Larner (Jack Lewis) of Denver, Colo., and Steve Larner of Newberry, Fla. He also leaves behind four grandchildren. Frank was preceded in death by three sisters, Ethelyn Larner Gardner, Rachel Larner Jones and Lois Larner Sutherland.

An earlier Celebration of Life was held for his friends and neighbors at Panorama City in Lacey. Burial will be at Fern Hill Cemetery next to his beloved wife, Verlee.

The family requests donations to support the Grays Harbor College Foundation, specifically The Frank Larner Founders Scholarship, 1620 Edward P. Smith Dr., Aberdeen, WA 98520.

A message of condolence or of a memory can be sent to the family at www.fernhillfuneral.com.

Arrangements are entrusted to Twibell’s Fern Hill Funeral Home in Aberdeen.