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Frank J. Wahl | Firefighter, teacher, 84

Frank J. Wahl, 84, a firefighter, lifeguard, and teacher of the deaf, died Thursday at Abington Memorial Hospital after suffering a stroke at his home in Ann's Choice, a retirement community in Warminster. Mr. Wahl served with the Philadelphia Fire Department for 23 years, retiring in 1974, said his wife, Jean Kennedy Wahl. During his years with the Fire Department, he also was a substitute teacher at the Pennsylvania School for the Deaf. After his retirement, he started teaching at the Marie H. Katzenbach School for the Deaf in Trenton. Mr. Wahl learned sign language to communicate with his parents, Frank Sr. and Helen Wahl, both of whom were deaf, his wife said. He received a master's degree in deaf education from Temple University, she said. He grew up in Kensington, graduated from Northeast High School, and went to La Salle College, where he was a member of the swim team. "He swam all his life," his wife said. Until two years ago, he was a lifeguard at the B&R Full Health & Fitness Club in Feasterville. "He liked to keep busy," she said. The couple had been married for 59 years. He served in the Navy during World War II. His daughter Tracy Franke said he had a talent for fixing just about anything, a trait that endeared him to his four daughters. "We called it Dad's Magic Workbench," she said. "You could put anything on there, and it came back fixed." In addition to his wife and daughter, Mr. Wahl is survived by daughters Marcia Paraczky and Leslie Curry, a brother, three grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren. Daughter Nancy died in 1988. A memorial service will be tomorrow at 11 a.m. at St. James Episcopal Church, 330 S. Bellevue Ave., Langhorne. Interment will follow in the church's columbarium. Friends may call at the church at 10 a.m. Memorial donations may be made to the Churchville Nature Center, 501 Churchville Lane, Churchville, Pa., 18966. - Nancy Petersen

Frank J. Wahl, 84, a firefighter, lifeguard, and teacher of the deaf, died Thursday at Abington Memorial Hospital after suffering a stroke at his home in Ann's Choice, a retirement community in Warminster.

Mr. Wahl served with the Philadelphia Fire Department for 23 years, retiring in 1974, said his wife, Jean Kennedy Wahl. During his years with the Fire Department, he also was a substitute teacher at the Pennsylvania School for the Deaf.

After his retirement, he started teaching at the Marie H. Katzenbach School for the Deaf in Trenton.

Mr. Wahl learned sign language to communicate with his parents, Frank Sr. and Helen Wahl, both of whom were deaf, his wife said. He received a master's degree in deaf education from Temple University, she said.

He grew up in Kensington, graduated from Northeast High School, and went to La Salle College, where he was a member of the swim team.

"He swam all his life," his wife said. Until two years ago, he was a lifeguard at the B&R Full Health & Fitness Club in Feasterville. "He liked to keep busy," she said. The couple had been married for 59 years.

He served in the Navy during World War II.

His daughter Tracy Franke said he had a talent for fixing just about anything, a trait that endeared him to his four daughters. "We called it Dad's Magic Workbench," she said. "You could put anything on there, and it came back fixed."

In addition to his wife and daughter, Mr. Wahl is survived by daughters Marcia Paraczky and Leslie Curry, a brother, three grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren. Daughter Nancy died in 1988.

A memorial service will be tomorrow at 11 a.m. at St. James Episcopal Church, 330 S. Bellevue Ave., Langhorne. Interment will follow in the church's columbarium. Friends may call at the church at 10 a.m.

Memorial donations may be made to the Churchville Nature Center, 501 Churchville Lane, Churchville, Pa., 18966.

- Nancy Petersen