Grand Haven Mens Golf Assoc.

It was a dark and stormy night…….actually it was a warm spring morning ….maybe not so warm….anyhow, Frank Large was born April 5, 1954 in McKeesport Pa. Frank is the fourth, and last child of the late Harold and Elizabeth (Betty) Large. Sisters Nancy, Sharyn and brother Harold (Butch) were, and still are ,16, 7, and 11 years his senior.
Raised in the small town of Dravosburg, PA. situated on the Monongahela River, roughly 10 miles upstream of the confluence of the Monongahela and Allegheny rivers which form the head of the Ohio River in Pittsburgh. I’m sure you’ve seen it, think Three Rivers Stadium.
 
Growing up in what was, at the time, the heart of Steel Country Frank’s father, grandfathers. Band a rother, brother-in-law, and a large number of men in the community worked in various steel mills that lined the shores of the “Mon”. After graduating McKeesport High School in 1972, Frank attended Penn State University’s McKeesport campus commuting daily from home.
During this time, he joined the volunteer fire department in Dravosburg where he quickly found his niche. Weeknight and weekend training sessions devoted to firefighting and first aid training led to attendance in the first local EMT training in the area and a serious interest in becoming a career Paramedic and/or Firefighter. In the meantime, he left Penn State and worked for a time in the steel industry which was beginning its’ near disappearance in the region.
 
Laid of from the “mill” in May of 1975, Frank learned of a Federal Grant program called (CETA) which provided start-up funding for Paramedic training and equipment that led to the formation of Pittsburgh Emergency Medical Service, which then and now provides emergency medical services to the residents of and visitors to the City of Pittsburgh. He worked as a paramedic for 3 1/2 years. During this time, Frank also took the competitive Civil Service test for Firefighter in Pittsburgh and was offered a position in July of 1980.
 
For the next 38 years, Frank was a member of the Pittsburgh Bureau of Fire and Pittsburgh Firefighters Local #1. He loved the “Job” and rose through the ranks via competitive testing, eventually serving as Deputy Chief in charge of one of the four working shifts. He retired in August 2018 at 64.
 
In 1976, while working as a paramedic, Frank met emergency department nurse Adele Alterio as he was helping move a patient from the ambulance stretcher to a bed in the ER. They started dating and were married in June 1978. Adele took advantage of tuition reimbursement at the hospital and earned her BS in Nursing from Penn State University and then her MS and PhD at the University of Pittsburgh. She was soon “headhunted” and accepted a job with GlaxoSmithKline pharmaceuticals. She worked there until retiring in August 2018.
 
In April 1996, after a year long process, Frank and Adele traveled to St. Petersburg, Russia where they adopted twin boys, just turning one year old. Austin and Patrick, now 25 are both college graduates and doing their best to begin careers during this awful pandemic.
 
During all of this, Frank managed to play golf occasionally with friends and co-workers. When retirement arrived on the horizon, he and Adele began to research areas that would fit mild or no cold weather, near a beach, and year-round outdoor activities that included golf. During internet searches this area of Florida caught our attention and in 2014 we began visiting and looking at homes. After several visits, in December of 2016 we purchased our house on Chinier Street. We moved in permanently in late August of 2018.
 
“During our home searches I had a few opportunities to play Grand Haven. I really liked the golf course and the “vibe” around both the course and the community. I joined as a Trial Member and haven’t looked back. The Golf Club and the MGA have definitely increased my interest in golf and more importantly accelerated the formation of new friendships and acquaintances.”