01/15/2026
Frank Joseph Linseisen
Retired Air Force Major Frank Linseisen, 91, passed away Jan. 10, 2026.
Frank was born February 5, 1934, to Joseph Linseisen and Katharina Huber, both German immigrants, in Waller, Texas, 40 miles northwest of Houston. He grew up on his family’s farm as one of 10 siblings, in a home that initially had no running water, electricity, or indoor plumbing. Despite the hardships, his fondest memories were of farm life—especially weekends spent selling their produce to restaurants at the Houston Farmers Market.
As valedictorian of his high school class, he was awarded a scholarship to Texas A&M University, where he studied agricultural engineering and joined the Air Force ROTC program within the Corps of Cadets. Shortly after graduation, he was commissioned as an officer and began a distinguished 20-year military career that ended with his retirement in 1975.
He was first trained as a navigator and quickly selected for the elite 6593d Test Squadron (Special), later known as the “Corona Star Catchers,” the first group in space history to complete mid-air recovery of a manmade item from orbit. Cloaked under the Discoverer scientific research program, this project was later revealed to be the secret Cold War Corona spy satellite program that blasted satellites into space to photograph military movement within the Soviet Union and then dropped the film capsules back to earth for mid-air capture and then processing.
After seven years as a navigator, he completed his pilot training, retaining dual ratings as both pilot and navigator—an achievement he was immensely proud of. While stationed at Wheelus Air Base in Tripoli, Libya, he met Patricia Shockley, an elementary school teacher on the base. The couple later transferred to Ramstein Air Base in Germany before returning to the United States to marry and begin their family.
He was twice deployed to Vietnam. There he had many assignments, including serving as a forward air controller in Pleiku, during which he flew more than 90 combat missions and accrued more than 275 combat hours, producing vital reconnaissance, directing and coordinating air strikes and guiding aircraft to identified targets, at times coming under enemy fire in his unarmed aircraft. In one of the most dangerous assignments in the war, he served as part of the heroic Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Group. Flying a Grumman Albatross seaplane, he made more than 165 open sea landings in the rescue of downed bomber crews in the Gulf of Tonkin.
He shared so little about his time in the Air Force that only recently have many of his accomplishments been realized. While with the 6593d squadron, he was credited with the successful first-pass aerial catch of the Discoverer XVIII capsule, 600 miles from the air base in an area of extremely poor navigational aids. In other commendations, he received an Air Medal for rescuing a downed American pilot from within the midst of a large fleet of hostile surface vessels, and another for rescuing four survivors from the Gulf of Tonkin despite bad weather, darkness, rough seas and electronic interference.
In all, he was awarded the Air Medal for significant heroism or meritorious achievement 11 times (10 Oak Leaf clusters); the Air Force Commendation Medal; National Defense Service Medal; Combat Readiness Medal; Vietnam Service Medal with Bronze Service Star; Small Arms Expert Marksmanship Ribbon; Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal; Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal; Air Forces Outstanding Unit Award with 2 Oak Leaf clusters; Air Force Longevity Service Award with 4 Oak Leaf clusters; Air Force Medal 900-3; and Meritorious Service Medal Military Airlift Command. His files consistency referenced his skill and precision, professionalism and steadiness under pressure, rating him in the top tier of his officer class. Somewhere along the way, he also managed to acquire a master’s degree in business administration from Southern Illinois University.
After retiring from the Air Force, he began a second career in corporate aviation, preferring to fly small aircraft where he could see both the ground and the sky. He became director of aviation for a global oilfield equipment manufacturer in Houston, overseeing its aviation staff and fleet of jets in the heyday of the oil industry boom in the 1970s and ‘80s. Later, when the company was building a plant in the Four Corners area in Farmington, N.M., he became enamored with the area and asked to be based there instead.
After the company sold its fleet, Frank continued his corporate aviation career in Farmington until the early 1990s, when he became a charter pilot for Four Corners Aviation. In this position, he took on a variety of work, including flight instruction, medical transports, general charters, cross-country pipeline inspections, and occasionally flying visiting celebrities and state politicians. He loved flying so much that his wife would sometimes joke that after his military retirement, he had never worked a day in his life.
After aging out, he spent the final 11 years of his career with Empire Airlines, contracted by FedEx for the daily cargo run between Farmington and Albuquerque, N.M. He retired for the third time at age 76.
Never a man of leisure, his hobbies included home improvement projects, yardwork and gardening, barbecuing and an occasional passion project, such as painstakingly restoring a couple of classic 1950s Jaguar vehicles. He loved being outdoors, and it was never too cold or too hot for long walks, especially with his dog, Ginger.
Despite his travels, he remained solidly down-to-earth, preferring the rugged geography and expansiveness of the Southwest over cityscapes and traffic, blue jeans over dress pants, and home-cooked meals over restaurants. He was quiet, with a simple sense of humor and gentle demeanor, while at the same time, he was known to make others roar with laughter over his colorful expressions and unfiltered way with words. He is also remembered for his remarkable resilience and perseverance, always moving forward no matter what life placed in his path.
Frank is survived by a daughter, Sharmion Linseisen-Kerley, and her husband, Robert; and a son, Jerry “Marty” Linseisen, and his wife, Helen; and three grandchildren, Erik and Anders Linseisen, and Kai Phoenix. He is also survived by brother Carl and his wife, Carole; and brother, James, and his wife, Nancy.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Patricia; his parents; brothers John, Raymond, Edward and Leroy; and sisters, Frieda, Dorothy and Rosemary.
The family expresses its profound gratitude to all the wonderful caregivers who gave their love and support to their father as his Alzheimer’s disease progressed. Their care and compassion will not be forgotten.
A graveside service with full military honors will be held at Waller Cemetery on Tuesday, Jan. 20, at 10:30 a.m. Arrangements under the direction of Canon Funeral Home.
“When once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there you will always long to return” - Leonardo Da Vinci
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