Frank David Trovillion

Frank David Trovillion 1925 " 2016 Frank Trovillion, 91, left this life on Saturday, November 26, 2016. He died of respiratory failure. He leaves his daughters Nancy Trovillion Wallace and Susan T. Hughes; his grandson James Wallace and wife Melanie; and his sons in law Jamie Wallace and Bill Hughes. He is preceded in death by his wife Freddie and his grandson, Jeffrey David Perkins. Frank grew up in Chicago Il, the youngest of 3 children. He joined the Navy in 1943 and contracted polio while in Officer Training Camp at Dartmouth College. His hips and legs were paralyzed but he was rehabilitated to walk with braces and crutches at the Roosevelt Warm Springs Institute where he met President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who became his lifelong inspiration. He received his MBA from the University of Chicago in 1949 and came to Lakeland soon after to pursue a career in citrus administration. He met his future wife, Freddie Keys, at an International Conference on Polio, where they were two of five polio patients invited to demonstrate their rehabilitation achievements. Early on he lived in the New Florida Hotel where he met a friend who taught him to fly, and encouraged him to buy an ercoupe, the only airplane designed to fly with hand controls instead of foot pedals. Having kept this a secret from Freddie, he gave up flying when she found out after they were married. He had great pride in the Florida citrus industry where he worked for 37 years, first at Florida Citrus Mutual as Assistant General Manager and later as Manager of the Citrus Administrative Committee. For many years he served as chair of the Florida Citrus Hall of Fame Selection Committee. He loved Lakeland and was active as a civic leader, serving as a city commissioner, and on the boards of numerous organizations including the Salvation Army, Goodwill Industries, Polk Art Museum, United Way, Chamber of Commerce, and the Florida National Bank. He was a lifelong Kiwanian and a founding and devoted member of United Methodist Temple. He was appointed to the Florida Governor""s Alliance for Employment of Disabled Citizens by Lawton Chiles and served as Vice Chair. He was devoted to his beloved wife Freddie and together they raised two daughters, had many friends, and became strong contributors to the community life of Lakeland, making their disabilities seem invisible to the people that knew them. The family gives thanks to his home caregivers for their extraordinary compassion and care, especially to Diane Carter. The family also thanks Reverend Karen MacDuff, and Dr. Chadi Alkhalil and the palliative care unit at Lakeland Regional Hospital who provided invaluable support. A service to celebrate Frank""s life will be held at United Methodist Temple in Lakeland at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, November 30. Memorials can be made to United Methodist Temple, 2700 S. Florida Ave., Lakeland, FL, 33803. Service: 11/30/2016 United Methodist Temple 2700 S. Florida Avenue, Lakeland, Fl. 33803