Frank's quiet demeanor reflected a wise and caring individual. Iowa's children and youth with disabilities, and their families, have much to be thankful for in Frank.

Frank was a kind & gentle man; someone to be emulated. God's Speed, Frank.

Margaret and family, Sorry to hear about Frank. He was a good friend over the past 48 years. I enjoyed working with him and for him. I'm glad that I was able to visit with him last summer. I'll miss him and his sense of humor. An old friend, John Millsapps

Remembering a special, caring person who Mary worked with for 11 years

Frank was a classmate of mine and good friend. He will be missed Mert Daulton

I recently was part of a retirement celebration involving special education Department of Education staff. The number of times the name of Frank Vance came up as tributes were paid to each retiree speaks volumes. He was an institution and legend unlike few others. As I reflect on his impact on those of us lucky to have been part of his staff, there was an unwritten code that we would all do our best because he instilled something in us. It was more than him having high expectations for us (which he did). There was absolutely no way that we would want to disappoint him. Yes, Frank had the ability to see our gifts when maybe we did not recognize our own potential. I credit him for helping me live a very fulfilling professional life. I am indeed grateful to Frank.

To say that this man had a profound influence on my career as an educator and as a person would not do justice, nor suffice, to explain the feelings that I have for him. He was a boss that not many ever get to have and a person that will never be forgotten as he lives on in all of the lives that he has touched over the years . . . including mine. I will miss him and continue to strive to be the type of person he would want me to be.

I enjoyed Frank as a neighbor to his cabin on Deer Lake. Our family has been going to the same resort since 1967. A lovely man and the Vance family is a wonderful family! YOu are all in my thoughts and prayers!

Frank was a wonderful man We were lucky to know him. Go in peace

With lasting appreciation for the legacy you left and the impact you had on the lives of thousands of children in Iowa. Thank you, Frank.
Iowa Department of Education
Bureau of Student and Family Services

Frank and I spent many years sitting next to each other in the Trombone section at Ames High and the Bandshell. He was by far the best. Ames will miss a great man.

Almost two decades separated my Uncle Frank from his older brother, my dad Gerry Vance, but they became close friends as adults. For me, just twelve years younger than Frank, my first memories of him are as my cool college man uncle, and of his wedding to Margaret. And him slamming his fingers in the car door as they left for their honeymoon – ouch! My first stay away from home was at Frank and Margaret’s apartment in Ottawa when I was about eight. Later, we shared our love of Deer Lake and our cabin there. Frank’s many improvements to the cottage helped transform it from a rough cabin to the comfortable and livable place it became. When my dad struggled with the effects of a devastating stroke in his late fifties, and later my mom aged and declined, Frank and Margaret made it possible for them to continue to visit Deer Lake despite their disabilities, picking them up at various airports and helping them in so many ways. He was a kind, thoughtful, and funny person. I miss him very much and hope wherever he is now, the fish are biting.

I first met Frank in 1979 - we were involved with a due process case at the Department of Education because of our son, Rick. Through that process, for whatever reason, Frank helped to very quietly involve me in 'work groups and task forces' (and I say quietly, because I didn't even realize it was going on until much later!)as a parent voice. Through those activities, I was involved in the beginning with an program called the Parent-Educator Connection. Today, I have worked almost 18 years at the DE, continuing to coordinate that effort. I am who I am today due in large part to Frank's ability to see gifts in people and his skill at bringing out the best in all of us. I look around now and see evidence of his legacy all across the state: in people, in systems, in ideas - in all the things that matter to children, specifically children with disabilities and their families and their teachers. I am so lucky to have had his influence in my life. Thank you, Frank - God Bless you and your family.

I worked only briefly with Frank before his retirement from the Bureau of Special Education in 1994. However, I felt as if Frank's vision and leadership guided my 17 years of work in state special education services. His name is legendary and spoken with deference and reverence in the field of Iowa special education. We all mourn his loss.