FRANCIS KEARNY

Francis James Kearny III, 80, of Neenah, WI, passed away peacefully on April 24, 2024, surrounded by family.  Frank was born on September 7, 1943, to Francis J. Kearny & Mary Frances Igo in New Orleans, LA.  

Frank spent his early childhood in New Orleans, and his high school years in Kansas City, where he graduated from Rockhurst High School with the Class of 1961.   After high school Frank earned a degree in Business at the University of Kansas, where he discovered both his entrepreneurial acumen and his lifelong obsession with K.U. Jayhawks basketball. 
Rock. Chalk.  Jayhawk!  

Following university, Frank served in the U.S. Coast Guard in St. Louis as a recruiting officer for the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, while also participating in flood relief and rescue efforts on the Mississippi River.  It was in St. Louis in 1965 that Frank met the love of his life, Stella (Kim) Wilson.   The two were married in St. Louis in 1967 before relocating to the Chicago area and starting a family.

Following a successful sales career in the plastics/resin industry, Frank took a calculated leap of faith in 1978 and relocated his family to Neenah, WI as he and his co-founder launched Banner Packaging in Oshkosh, WI.   Frank helped transform a barren corn field into an incredibly successful flexible packaging business with over $60 million in sales.  At Banner, Frank was known as mentor, coach, teacher, and friend – not just the boss.  Frank oversaw the rapid growth and maturation of the business until it was acquired by Bemis Corp. (now Amcor) in 1995.  

In typical fashion – and consistent with his personal philosophy that “If you're not moving forward, you're going backward” – Frank accomplished nearly as much in retirement as he did during his professional career.  In addition to supporting First Presbyterian Church of Neenah, Frank served as president and chairman of the board of Valley VNA Senior care for over 20 years, board member at the Fox Cities Performing Arts Center (PAC) in Appleton, WI, chairman of the board at Resource One International, LLC, a precision paper converting company in Little Chute, WI, and was a board and executive committee member at his family's fifth-generation business, Levert Companies of Metairie, LA.

Frank led a rich life outside of the boardroom.   Whether coaching his young children's soccer teams, hosting family and friends at Green Lake, traveling to far-flung fly fishing and vacation destinations, tending the asparagus in his vegetable garden, soaking in an ocean sunset, or simply “just sitting here, watching the world go by”, Frank always lived in the moment, doing the things he loved with the people he loved.

Frank is survived by his loving wife Kim, his four children Daniel (Emily) Kearny, Jeffrey (Tiffany) Kearny, Karen (Krzysztof Halasz) Kearny, and John (Laura) Kearny, his ten grandchildren Mairin, Will, Drew (their mother, Katharine Began Kearny), Mia, Claire, John, Henry, Mae, Macallan, and Hazel.  Also survived by sisters, Annette Stoerman and Mathilde Kibble, and sister-in-law, Virginia Straeter.  

He was preceded in death by his parents, Francis James Kearny & Mary Frances Kearny (Taylor), brother Michael A. Kearny and brother-in-law, Bruce C. Wilson.    

A private family memorial service is scheduled, with a celebration of life to be held at a later date this summer.  Please check back for further details.  

In lieu of flowers, the Family wishes that any memorial tributes be made in the form of charitable donations to First Presbyterian Church of Neenah, or to Valley VNA Senior Care (formerly the Visiting Nurses Association), where Frank not only served as Board Chairman until his passing, but where he also received end-of-life care as a VNA resident.  His family is forever grateful to the loving, dedicated “staff of angels” at the VNA to whom Frank entrusted his care, enabling him to pass through his final phase in comfort and dignity.  

In Frank's own words:   “I work hard on behalf of Valley VNA because I believe seniors need a safe, engaging place to live in the community they know and love – and their kids need a safe place for them to go. It's a ministry for me.”