Michael Benedict Frappier

Michael Benedict Frappier, 70, a resident of the Vermont Veteran’s Home in Bennington, passed away peacefully on September 3, 2023 at Albany Medical Center in Albany, New York, following a long illness. Michael was born on December 18, 1952 to Robert Frappier and Irene (Spaulding) Frappier at the Proctor Hospital in Proctor, Vermont. He spent his childhood days in Globe, Arizona; on his grandparent’s farm in Weston, Vermont and later in Rutland, Vermont where his mother had a job as a lab technician at the Rutland Hospital. His family then moved to Manchester, Vermont. Michael graduated from Burr and Burton Seminary in 1971. In the summer of 1971 Michael joined the U.S. Air Force. He was stationed at Davis Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Arizona. He attended classes to become certified as an Avionics Sensor Systems Specialist. During his years of service, Michael worked with reconnaissance drones, aircraft and systems. His service took him to Utapau and Nakhom Phenom in Thailand; Kadena, Okinawa; Osan in Korea; DaNang, Vietnam; and R.A.F. Weathersfield in England. He flew reconnaissance missions over Laos and Cambodia and was wounded while on an intelligence gathering mission over Cambodia, earning him a Purple Heart. He flew in support of the Isreali Air Force in the Yom Kippur War in 1973. Michael played an important role in “Operation Frequent Wind”, where he assisted in the rescue of civilians during the last days of the evacuation of Saigon. He was honorably discharged on August 22, 1975. On February 28, 1976, Michael married the former Rebecca Lampron at the Old First Church in Old Bennington, Vermont. The couple moved to the “Upper Valley” where Michael was employed at Thermal Dynamics Corp. Michael worked as an electrical engineer in Research and Developments and has a number of patents. Michael attended evening classes at Nathaniel Hawthorne College, earning a degree in Business Administration. He worked in the evenings as an adjunct professor at Nathaniel Hawthorne College and The Community College of Vermont, teaching classes in Mathematics and Astronomy. After his diagnosis in 1999 of service-related Multiple Sclerosis, employment was no longer an option. Michael turned to volunteer work. He tutored teenage girls at Hannah House in Lebanon, NH and helped them pass their GED’s. He spent many hours at the Montshire Museum of Science, sharing his knowledge of electronics to assist in building new exhibits. Michael was an active member of the West Lebanon Congregational Church where he served on numerous committees. He was a Freemason and a member of the United Brethren Lodge #21 in White River, Vermont. He served as the stationmaster at the White River train station, served on the library board in Hartford and enjoyed being a member of the Vet-Net in White River Junction. Michael was extremely interested in all types of air craft, space travel and astronomy. He was a voracious reader, loved to hike in the woods, listen to music and watch movies. Michael is survived by his wife of 47 years, Rebecca Frappier; their children Andrew Michael and Erin Elizabeth; their grandchildren Zephyr Andrew and Maxwell Kenneth; and many loving and supportive family and friends. Following Michael’s wishes, there will be no formal services. The family plans to have a private celebration of life at a later date. If friends should desire, contributions in Michael’s memory may be made directly to the West Lebanon Congregational Church – 18 Maple Street, West Lebanon, NH 03784.