FAREWELL, FRANKIE

By Daniel May, Class of ‘76

As a lifelong sports fan who graduated from Wayne Central High School in 1976, I grew to maturity freshly familiar with a quote famously (if erroneously) attributed to Vince Lombardi—
“Winning isn’t everything… it’s the ONLY thing.”
This week I join friends and family to pause and remember a great man who long ago taught me otherwise— a legendary sports figure at my high school named Frankie Urbanik.
Throughout his life, Frankie overcame his apparent disadvantages in order to attend as many Wayne Central sporting events as he could. And by energetically rooting for Wayne Central’s sports teams— living and dying with every late-game penalty kick and fourth-quarter free throw— Frankie taught us, paradoxically, that there is more to the game than the game itself.
Whether his beloved Wayne Central teams won or lost, Frankie’s enthusiasm and attendance remained constant; no matter what the outcome, he was always there at the next game. After a tough loss, he provided living proof that the world doesn’t cease revolving because of a single setback; and after savoring a delicious victory, Frankie’s inevitable return to the bleachers reminded us that life is an unending sequence of worthy and difficult challenges to be met.
Most importantly, perhaps, for decades Frankie helped Wayne Central fans and athletes alike become better human beings by earning their respect, admiration, and affection by the way he lived his life. He was a wonderful example who has taught us all to recognize the valuable wisdom and dignity of our “special needs” brothers and sisters, sons and daughters. As such,Frankie was as valuable a component of a Wayne Central education as any tenured teacher or career administrator.
This is how I shall forever remember Frankie— as the unlikeliest of Wayne Central teachers, yet one who taught me so many valuable lessons that remain with me today.
I have many fond memories of Frankie, all relating to sports. He and I had a standing date for one-on-one basketball at lunchtime my senior year. It became something of a daily sideshow, and small crowds would actually gather to watch. It must’ve made Frankie feel good to be a player instead of a spectator, and he wasn’t above hamming it up for his audience. If a pretty girl was watching, Frankie would pause and earnestly “dedicate” the game to her. When he missed a short basket, Frankie would sometimes pound the nearest wall in theatrical angst. I don’t remember any of the scores… who won and who lost… but in retrospect I’d say we both came out on top.
It was easy for many of us to underestimate Frankie. One situation in particular taught me not to.
The Buffalo Bills were a borderline playoff contender in 1975, with O.J. Simpson still rumbling for all-pro yardage and a promising young quarterback named Joe Ferguson under center. The Bills were cruising to victory one Sunday that season when Ferguson suddenly went down with an injury. In came his even younger backup Gary Marangi, and the game slowly slipped away as the Buffalo offense sputtered and misfired. On the following Monday we all did our usual armchair analysis, but then out of nowhere Frankie chimed in— “Marangi’s a good quarterback,”Frankie insisted. “But he came in cold, and his cadence is different from Ferguson’s. It messed up the Bills’ timing at the line of scrimmage.” We were all stunned— it was a take worthy of Tony Romo himself. Frankie knew his stuff.
I moved away from Ontario in 1976 and didn’t return for over 30 years. My wife and I went to a Wayne Central basketball game in 2010… how everything had changed! The building was much bigger, the cheerleaders were all texting instead of watching the game… but there was Frankie, sitting court-side as always, but now in his wheelchair. It didn’t take him long to recognize me and recall our silly basketball games. Soon thereafter a couple of friends and I set up the“Frankie Urbanik Fan Page” on Facebook. Within a few short weeks his online following had swelled to nearly a thousand… several generations of Wayne Eagles who loved Frankie and recalled him fondly.
And now Frankie’s passing once again reminds us that life is finite… that every great athlete eventually comes face-to-face with Father Time… every great coach has to make that agonizing final stroll from the fields of friendly strife… and every great teacher has to bid a final farewell to the classroom where he imparted so much wisdom on impressionable young minds.
Dear Frankie, you’ve now been called home to your Creator after a life so beautifully lived.Thank you for sharing it with those of us fortunate enough to have known you… thank you for your dedication, for your enthusiastic and steadfast support, for all the lessons you taught us, for your devilish, contagious joy… and for making us laugh with you. As we mourn your passage and say farewell, we do so knowing that your unique legacy will surely outlive all of us and provide an excellent example to future Wayne Central students, athletes, and fans.
Winning might not be everything… but if our life’s box score is based on what we contribute to the world and the people around us, then you’re going out a winner, Frankie.