Francis "Frank" Clune

Francis Joseph Clune Frank, 86, passed away on Tuesday, November 1, 2016 from the effects of Alzheimers at Highgate Senior Living in Great Falls.Frank was born in San Antonio, Texas on February 23, 1930 to Francis and Eva Clune, the middle of three brothers. Being the son of a military doctor, he lived in many places while growing up such as Little Rock, Arkansas, China, Visalia, California and Austria.Frank married Dorris Ann Ackelbein in 1957 while going to graduate school. They had three children.Frank received a PhD in Archeology and then taught, first at the University of Georgia in Athens and later at State University of New York, Brockport. He published several articles and scripted a multimedia presentation on Aztec Hipball (his doctoral topic). He even starred in a short documentary on archeology.In addition to his work, he was involved in several outside activities. In the 1970s, he was part of a bicentennial reenactment group named Robies Regiment, leading the cannon brigade. He was also a partner of Clune and Johnson, doing archeological research for various development projects in the upstate New York area. He was a lover of big band jazz and unique brews (pea-pod wine, anyone). Once he hosted a local charity competition, distracting all of us with bad jokes and puns for several weeks.Upon retirement, Frank and Dorris moved to a farm near Gaines, New York (halfway between Rochester and Buffalo) where he continued to read books (both scholarly and popular) and listen to music. He also enjoyed hunting with a flintlock rifle, although we suspect he just wanted a reason to be outdoors. Later, he and Dorris moved to Great Falls, near where Dorris grew up. While in Great Falls, he volunteered as a docent at the C.M. Russell Museum for several years.Frank is survived by his wife, Dorris; son Edward Clune; and daughters Sheila Leaming and Sarah Clune.