Frank St. Elmo

Frank C. St. Elmo, age 71, of Seekonk, formerly of Winchendon, passed away peacefully, after a long illness, on Thursday morning, October 31, 2024, at Silver Creek Manor in Bristol, RI. He was the longtime companion of Lynn Neves of Seekonk.

Born in Chelsea, MA, and raised in Franklin, he was the son of the late Frank J. J. St. Elmo and Ruth M. (Elias) Bockley.

In his early life, Frank worked as a truck driver and warehouseman for the New England Teamsters Local, at Del Monte Foods. His career ended after a near fatal hit and run motorcycle accident in 1983. The accident left him severely disabled and profoundly deaf. He survived, after a year in the hospital and a year in rehab, but his life was forever changed. He made the best of what he could still do and enjoyed a full life for the next four decades. He brought joy and smiles to many who knew him.

An avid fan of vintage muscle cars, Frank was a member of the Eastern MA GMO Club, the Minuteman Chapter of the BCA, the N. Quabbin Cruisers, the Monadnock Cruisers, the Buick Club of America, and the Oldsmobile Club of America. He restored three muscle cars and attained National Senior Preservation awards for one Oldsmobile and one Buick. These are the highest award levels in the respective clubs. He was always willing to share his knowledge with fellow car enthusiasts and was a frequent visitor to several automobile chat boards.

He loved drag racing, both as a spectator and a participant. He raced at New England Dragway in the 1970’s, driving his street legal race car to and from the racing events. More recently, he had occasion to race a vacation rental car, in which he competed well, in spite of the extra weight of a motorized wheel chair in the trunk and the drag of an open back window. His smile lasted for days! He also raced his daily driver on another occasion, only to meet with a deer at the end of the run. It was a surprise encounter to both Frank and the deer, but all ended well. 

He was proud to be a Mason and also, to be a life member of PsiChi, the National Honor Society in Psychology. He was inducted into the Psi Chi Chapter at Salem State College in 1997. He was a trained Bill Alexander painter and teacher.

He enjoyed travelling, especially to annual muscle car events around the country and was a participant in many car shows and cruises around the north east. 

He had a quick, dry wit and a contagious sense of humor, joking often about himself, continuing until you couldn’t help but laugh, try as you might, only to be reprimanded for laughing at him. It gave him a hearty chuckle, as he would look at you with a stern face and a raised eyebrow, saying “what are you laughing at?” Often his jokes made him laugh the most. “I crack myself up” he would say, even if he was the only one laughing.

Besides his companion Lynn, he leaves a son, Scott St. Elmo; a sister, Linda Grant; two brothers, William Bockley and Karl (Elly) Bockley; his nieces, Tanya, Danielle, and Amanda; and many grandnieces and grandnephews.

To honor his wishes, all funeral services were private and visiting hours were respectfully omitted.

In lieu of flowers, donations in his memory can be made to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105 or to the Shriner's Hospital for Children.

Arrangements entrusted to the professional care of Sowiecki-Snyder Home for Funerals & Cremation Services in Taunton.

For online condolences, please visit: www.sowieckifh.com or on Facebook at Sowiecki-Snyder Home for Funerals & Cremation Services.