CWA Mourns Retired District 13 Assistant Frank Wentzel

Frank S. Wentzel, retired assistant to two District 13 vice presidents, who helped facilitate the merger of the independent Federation of Telephone Workers of Pennsylvania into CWA, died March 6 at age 84.

"Frank was one of the kindest, most trustworthy people I ever knew," said retired District 13 Vice President Vincent Maisano. "You could always rely on him. He had a wealth of knowledge and enjoyed sharing it."

Wentzel joined FTWP when he went to work for Bell Telephone of Pennsylvania in 1947 as a station installer and PBX repairer. He rose through the ranks of FTWP's Local 44 and eventually became president of the federation's Pittsburgh Division. He worked with Maisano – by then president of the Philadelphia Division – and others to effect a merger of the 14,000-member union with CWA in August 1984, forming the union's District 13.

Following the merger, Wentzel became assistant to District 13 Vice President Bill Wallace and stayed on in that position under Maisano when he was elected District 13 vice president at the 1986 convention. He retired Nov.1, 1988.

He is survived by his wife, Margaret, of Pittsburgh.