Roll Call Tribute

Posted: Thursday, September 23, 2010 (in) The Sealy News

FRANK J. KRAMPITZ, JR.
Born Frank J. Krampitz, Jr., on July 21, 1920, he was known to most simply as Bo, a name adopted during early childhood. It seems that Bo became fascinated by a clown - named Bobo - accompanying a medicine show passing through Sealy promoting “Dr Stafford’s Elixir - Good for Man or Beast.”

On Aug. 11, 2010, Bo’s colorful life came to an end in Round Rock, Texas.

A native son of Sealy, Bo was the first child born to Frank and Dovie Barry Krampitz. His brother, Charles D. “Buddy” Krampitz would come two years later. The family set up shop on Fifth Street, known then as "Dutch Hill.” Nearby neighbors included aunts, uncles and a host of cousins. Except for years spent away in college and later serving in the military, Bo would call Sealy home for the better part of 80 years.

Bo’s childhood years in Sealy were simple yet full of life-defining experiences. From the front porch of the family business established by his grandfather Charles, the Sealy Grist Mill, Bo would see passenger trains passing through town, piquing a life long interest in the larger world beyond Sealy. Experiences as a Boy Scout, including a trip to the World Scout Jamboree at Valley Forge, Pa., would teach him the values of honor, duty and country. Tinkering around with his pal Henry Kanewski, configuring bits of spare parts, old motors and whatever else could be used to power a bicycle gave Bo an appreciation for resourcefulness.

Following graduation from Sealy High School in 1937, Bo enrolled at Texas A&M. He earned his degree and was commissioned into the United States Army in 1941, serving four years in the Army Air Corps including two tours in North Africa during World War II. While attending a service school for aircraft maintenance officers in Hartford, Conn., Bo met and later married Catherine “Kay” Gorman. Upon his discharge Bo and Kay returned to Sealy, once again to Dutch Hill, and Bo joined the family businesses at the Grist Mill and Texas Theater. He and Kay set about raising their family which would grow to include
daughter Eileen and sons John, Tom and Jason.

The post-war period signaled a turning point in the growth and development of Sealy and Bo became actively involved in efforts to incorporate the town. He was elected to the city council and later served as mayor until the early 1970s when he began a nearly 30 year professional career with the City of Sealy, initially as city secretary and later as city administrator. He was a member and occupied leadership positions with the Texas Municipal League. He was a tireless promoter of all things Sealy and took great interest and pride in the town’s development.

Embracing public service and volunteerism throughout his life, Bo’s affiliations outside his city roles were numerous and varied; a sampling included Little League umpire, volunteer fireman, EMS driver, Meals on Wheels volunteer, Rotarian, Lion and chamber of commerce member. He was a devoted parishioner of Immaculate Conception Catholic Church.

A keen observer of life, Bo began a long tenure as newspaper columnist for The Sealy News during the mid-1950s. His contribution, entitled “ProTem”, chronicled life in a small town…with a heavy concentration on topics celebrating the good works of others, the growth of families and businesses, the pride he had in his country and its institutions, along with an occasional challenging of the status quo. In those years, the column carried no attribution, the identity of its author always a matter of great speculation but a closely guarded secret held inviolate by Bo’s editor.

The demands in raising a family occasioned a break in Pro-Tem’s run for a good number of years but in the late 1980s the column reappeared in The Sealy News, this time with Bo’s name on the byline. He frequently said writing was like a tonic for him, allowing him to talk about things he found funny, important, ironic, poignant, or just worth having a conversation about.

Bo was a man of strong beliefs and allegiances. He passionately loved his family and supported his wife and children in all their endeavors. He was fiercely loyal to Texas A&M, and a faithful booster of the Sealy Tigers. He often described himself as a hopeless optimist. He mused that an Aggie couldn’t afford to be anything else, and rarely was his glass ever anything but half-full.

A tinkerer of sorts, Bo always had some sort of project going. He spent countless hours pursing his interest in amateur radio, and was known by the call letters “K5UPP” to fellow ham radio operators throughout the world. Anything to do with the Texas Gulf Coast held an especially strong lure, and many a family gathering was held at Galveston or Port Aransas.

Bo was preceded in death by his parents, his wife and his brother. His survivors are daughter Eileen Krampitz of Austin; sons John Krampitz and wife Anita of Cedar Park, Tom Krampitz and wife Terry of Dallas and Jason Krampitz and wife Jamie of New Braunfels; along with nine grandchildren and one great-granddaughter.

A celebration in Bo’s honor and memory will be held at Tony’s Restaurant in Sealy on Saturday, Oct. 2 from 3-5 p.m.