Franklin (Frank) Joy Kravig 1935-2005

Frank Kravig, a multi-talented musician and artist, taught music and art for thirty years in Seventh-day Adventist schools in the United States and Canada.  He was a singer and organist and was responsible for the installation of four organs in three SDA schools.  He also designed and installed stained glass windows in several churches in the Northwest.

Frank was born in Denver, Colorado, on June 12, 1934, the fourth of five sons, of Albert & Mary Alice Baker Kravig. He graduated as president of his class from Campion Academy in 1953 and then enrolled at Walla Wala College, now University, where he met and married his wife, (Alma Winnifred Lushik on May 29, 1956. (See her biography at this website). Although Kravig had not yet graduated from WWC, Wisconsin Academy hired him to teach piano and organ in 1957. He completed a B.Mus. at Andrews University in 1964 while teaching at WA from 1957-65.

In 1965, Kravig moved to College Place, Washington, where he taught music and German at Walla Walla Valley Academy and was adjunct voice teacher at WWC for the next four years. In 1969, following completion of an M.Mus. at Washington State University, he accepted an invitation from Canadian Union College, now Canadian University College, to serve as chair of their music department. While there, he had the opportunity to pursue a career in opera, but chose rather to continue teaching, staying at CUC until 1975.

Kravig's last position in music education was at Gem State Academy in Caldwell, Idaho, where he taught choir, voice, organ, pottery, stained-glass, and other art classes from 1975 to 1987. While at GSA, he designed and rebuilt the campus sanctuary, which included a stained-glass depiction of the 7-day creation week that spanned an entire wall. He completed other stained glass projects during his time in Idaho, including windows for churches in Pocatello and Twin Falls, Idaho, and Hermiston, Oregon.

He had a passion for pipe organs and dismantled, moved and re-engineered four organs to fit in new locations. The first of these was at Wisconsin Academy, the second and third were at Canadian Union College, and the fourth is at Gem State Academy. These projects were enormous, often requiring multiple years of nights and weekends away from his family. He was also cantor and organist at St. David’'s Episcopal Church during his twelve years at GSA.

Kravig was a fine tailor who sewed costumes for plays and operettas and concert attire for his singing groups. He had a warm spot in his heart for creative neckties. He also enjoyed photography, preferring nature themes and pictures of family members holding natural objects. It became a joke that when he would take family pictures, he'd say, "here, hold this," referring to rocks, trees, airplanes, instruments, and other objects. The family spent many an evening watching slides of flowers, various vacations, campouts, and backpack trips into the Canadian Rocky and Idaho Sawtoot mountains.

After leaving music teaching in 1987, Kravig completed a degree in accounting and then became owner and president of New Careers College of Business and Technology in Caldwell, Idaho. It was during his time at NCCBT that the early signs of Parkinson’s disease became apparent. Even after the diagnosis, he continued his work with choral groups, directing the Boone Memorial Presbyterian Church Choir and founding the Good News Singers, a Boise-area octet that continues to this day.

The Kravigs were living in Yakima, Washington, at the time of his death on October 13, 2005, at age 75. He was survived by Alma and their four children, Karlton Daniel (Dan); twins, Joseph Dean (Dean), and Samuel Kenton (Kent); and daughter, Kari Novak; and numerous grandchildren. 

Dean Kravig/ds/ 2006/2019

Source: Biographical sketch provided by Dean Kravig and edited by Dan Shultz in 2007, personal knowledge from knowing and interactng with the family for over forty years..