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Life story

" Frank Burdon Withrow, Jr, 93, died October 15, 2019 in Fredericksburg, VA. A veteran of WWII and Korea he spent his life in service to others. Dr. Withrow was a classroom teacher, researcher and administrator who worked with deaf and multiply-handicapped students. He served in the U.S. Department of Education from 1966 to 1992 as the Senior Learning Technologist administering technology programs for captioning and reading machines for the blind. He was the Executive Director of the President’s National Advisory Committee for the Handicapped in 1975 at the time the Education for All Handicapped Children Act (PL 94-142) was passed. As program manager for the U.S. Department of Education’s television series, he developed Sesame Street, Footsteps, and The Voyages of the Mimi. In all, he developed over 50 educational television programs (all captioned). As the Director of Technology for the Young Astronaut Council, he developed an on-line series of lessons for students and teachers. He was a founding Board member of the Consortium on School Networking (CoSN). The CoSN annual educator award is named the Frank Withrow Award for Excellence.

Multifaceted, Frank was a cartoonist, an artist and sculptor. He loved puppetry and model trains. His children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren often received cards and booklets bespectacled with cartoons and animations. His model train displays—wherever he lived—were elaborate creations. He was devoted to his many dogs and they to him. Most were adopted.

After moving to Stafford, VA, Frank was a regular commentator to The Free-Lance Star in the letters to the editor. The Free-Lance Star featured him in the May 2015 Memorial issue, “Honoring those who did not come back.” It highlighted his service in WWII and his promise to his comrades to give back to others because of the sacrifices they made. He dedicated his life in government to improving education for all.

Frank is survived by his second wife, Anne P. Sweet; his children, David F. Withrow and his wife, Gretchen; Desdie W. Eberman and her husband, Tom; M. Ellen Withrow and her husband, Bill Bien; Kirti S. Withrow and her husband, Gary Lubin; and Yaw Nsiah and his wife, Vicki. In addition, he leaves behind eleven grandchildren and ten great-grandchildren. He and first wife, Margaret, also fostered David Myers and Marilyn Westfall Derboven while teaching at the Central Institute for the Deaf in St. Louis. Margaret S. Withrow (née Schram) died in 2002. Memorial services will be announced at a future time.

Frank and Margaret Withrow were deeply honored when Dr. Yaw Nsiah founded Withrow University College in Dr. Nsiah’s home town of Agona, Ashanti, Ghana. Unique in Ghana, Withrow University College provides experiential higher education in public health, nursing, business studies, and informational technology.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to: Yaw Nsiah, Founder Withrow University College 221 York Road Lebanon, CT 06249 Please make check to “Yaw Nsiah.” "