South Wedge Mourns Passing of Frank Logan
Longtime resident and neighborhood leader remembered for his advocacy and engagement
The first time Frank Logan drove to his new college, Alfred University, he saw the fields and cows, turned around, and drove back home to Providence, R.I.
“He was always a ‘city’ guy,” chuckles Anne Logan, his wife of 40-plus years. But he did go back to Alfred to study ceramic design and metal sculpture. He played football, too, and is in the Alfred University Football Hall of Fame for his accomplishments on the field. Anne says they met at a college bar before she even took her first freshman class at Alfred State, and they were together ever since.
They moved to Rochester after graduating because of work opportunities — the strong arts community for Frank and Xerox for Anne, who earned a computer science degree. Frank found a studio to rent on South Avenue and purchased a house around the corner on Comfort Street. For a while, Frank was a substitute teacher with Rochester City School District and bartended at night.
“Not everyone was willing to put their money and energy on the line to make that investment [in the early 1980s South Wedge],” recalls the Rev. Judy Hay, founder of South Wedge Planning Committee and NBN6 (a coalition of city neighborhoods). “Whether it was a gathering at Marie Daley Park, a block party or someone needing a helping hand, Frank was there to invest his time.”
In spite of guests from the (former) hotel behind them darting through their yard running from police, Frank liked the neighborhood and took pride in the South Wedge. Both Frank and Anne worked downtown, and many days he would come home for lunch. They raised two sons, Bryant and Evan, and now have two young grandsons.
He became involved with the South Wedge Planning Committee, using his talents and skills to benefit the community, especially for fundraisers and soliciting advertising for The WEDGE newspaper. He became chairman of the SWPC board.
Anthony “Tony” Sciarabba, board treasurer, noted Frank’s dedication: “He worked hard for the betterment of the neighborhood. He was willing to put in the effort and didn’t hesitate to contact companies or individuals for support and donations.”
In the late 1980s, Frank opened Greens & Things, a florist and interior landscape service on Monroe Avenue. In 1999, he joined Stephens Media Group, where he excelled at sales. In fact, his on-air friends at stations WARM 101.3, Fickle 93.3, and 94.1 The Zone, told listeners about Frank a few days after his passing:
Jon Goehring of 94.1 The Zone: “…such a kind soul. His infectious optimism and just his overall good-hearted nature will always make me remember Frank as a co-worker, as an individual, as a family man, as well.”
Dino Kay of Fickle 93.3: “We celebrated Mr. Big, because Frank was a big heart. He was a big man. He was a big personality. If you knew Frank, you loved him.”
Tony Infantino of WARM 101.3: “Being board chairman of the South Wedge Planning Committee was one of his most proud things he did in his life. He was proud of his neighborhood and put the South Wedge Festival on the map. He was a helluva guy.”
In 2010, Frank organized Wedgestock, a community festival. People still remember the two years of Wedgestock, and Frank and the SWPC board brought the festival back in 2022 and 2023 as the South Wedge Fest. Working with him on the South Wedge Fest, I can tell you he was tireless in securing sponsors; in contracting components like the stage, food trucks and security company; in distributing posters and parking fliers; in lining up radio spots; and in arriving five hours early to set up and staying until the last folding chair was back at the office.
Jayne Morgan, South Wedge resident and volunteer coordinator for the South Wedge Fest, notes his “amazing determination to bring the festival back and make it a success for the community.”
“It just shows his level of dedication and commitment to the neighborhood,” she adds.
Steve Grills, musician and South Wedge resident, met Frank 25 years ago when his band played at a local venue on Thursdays. More recently, Frank asked Steve to put together the music line-ups for the South Wedge Festivals.
“He thought so much of the South Wedge,” Steve recalls. “His passing is a loss … but he’ll continue to be an inspiration to celebrate this unique neighborhood.”
“Determination” and “dedication” are common descriptors for Frank. In his roles at work, at home and at SWPC, Frank faced any challenge. For instance, Frank hired Gary Loitsch, contractor and South Wedge resident, to renovate his kitchen.
“He wanted to learn everything,” Gary says. “He helped design it and helped with the work, too.”
Frank also showed determination last summer when two chairs and a table went missing from his porch. Neighbors clued him in on who would have some information, and he went around the corner and confronted the alleged culprit. The man fessed up, saying that he sold them to another tenant. Frank stormed into the building and banged on doors until he got his chairs back. Anne smiled at this anecdote, saying: “He was fearless. Nothing could stop him.”
In the seven years I’ve been at SWPC, I saw Frank at the South Wedge Farmers Market nearly every week, supporting the program and our local vendors. Occasionally we would meet over lunch he picked up at Phillips European, one of his sales clients. When things got tough, he was always encouraging, always looking at solutions. He was the catalyst for a senior housing program we’re exploring. He is already missed.
I asked Anne what Frank’s biggest passion was: family, community, sales?
“All of the above,” she answered without hesitation.
The family requests that donations in his memory go to the Wilmot Cancer Institute. Please go to urmc.rochester.edu/cancer-institute/giving/make-a-gift.aspx.
[Originally appeared in The WEDGE, February/March 2024.]
