Frank Laba passed into the arms of our Lord in Burlington, Vt., just two weeks shy of his 85th birthday. Of full-blooded Ukrainian ancestry, he was born into a loving family of eight children in Syracuse, N.Y.
Like several of his siblings, he ventured west to Southern California to seek opportunities and worked for his sister and brother-in-law, learning the drapery business. He then went out on his own with a successful custom drapery business, “Draperies by Frank.” On a job one day he met the love of his life, Judith, a renowned interior designer. They were united in marriage in Pasadena in 2003 and moved out to the low desert of the Coachella Valley. Frank and Judy traveled extensively to the far corners of the globe and left quite a photographic legacy of their adventures together.
With Judith originally from the Rangeley Lakes Region of Maine, they eventually came back East and settled in the coastal West Penobscot Bay area. They found a historic house in need of care and made its rehabilitation the subject of their professional expertise in their retirement. After Judith’s unfortunate passing in 2018, Frank remained in Warren, Maine, for a time and eventually moved to Shelburne, Vt., to be close to family.
Frank is survived by his brother, Gary; two sisters-in-law; 11 nieces and nephews; and many friends who all miss him dearly.
No formal services were requested, but he would be honored by anyone who wishes to raise a glass of sauvignon blanc in his remembrance.
This article appears in Vermont Tech Jam Guide 2026.