Dr. Frank L. Behrend, 88, died Wednesday, Sept. 23 in Valparaiso, IN.
Frank was born on July 1, 1938, in Berlin, Germany, to Arthur and Ilse Behrend. Of Jewish ancestry and raised in the Lutheran faith, Frank and his family were forced to flee Nazi Germany when he was just two years old. In 1940, Frank, his parents, and grandparents found refuge in Shanghai, China, where he spent the next seven years of his life.
In 1947, Frank and his family immigrated to the United States. After spending several months in San Francisco, the family settled in Rockford, IL. Frank graduated from Rockford East High School and attended Augustana College in Rock Island, IL.
He earned his medical degree from the University of Illinois and completed his residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at Cook County Hospital in Chicago.
In 1967, Frank married Carol Triska, beginning a marriage and partnership that would span nearly six decades. They moved to Valparaiso, IN, where Frank joined OB/GYN, Inc. and began a long and distinguished career caring for the women and families of Porter County.
Over the next three decades, Frank delivered thousands of babies and devoted himself to the health and well-being of his patients. He cared deeply about the people he treated and approached medicine with compassion, honesty, and an unwavering sense of responsibility. He later served as Chief of Staff at Porter Memorial Hospital.
While Frank took great pride in being a physician, what he treasured most were the people he met along the way. He had tremendous affection and respect for the countless physicians, nurses, hospital employees, office staff, and other colleagues with whom he worked throughout his career. Simply put, Frank loved people.
Frank retired from the practice of medicine in 2002, giving him more time for the things—and especially the people—he loved.
He found great happiness in hiking at the Indiana Dunes with Carol, his children, and later his grandchildren. One of his favorite places in the world was Ludington State Park in Michigan, where days were spent hiking, exploring, talking, and, inevitably, telling stories.
Frank loved a good conversation. Religion, politics, investing, history—very few subjects were off limits, and Frank was rarely without an opinion. Some of the best conversations happened during car rides, particularly trips to Chicago’s Chinatown. For Frank, the journey could be every bit as enjoyable as the destination when it was filled with family, stories, questions, debate, and laughter.
Those who knew Frank knew him as a man of great honesty. He believed in doing what was right and treating his fellow human beings with decency and respect. The experiences of his early childhood remained part of the fabric of who he was and helped shape a life characterized by curiosity, compassion, gratitude, and a genuine interest in other people.
Above all, Frank loved his family.
He is survived by his beloved wife, Carol (Triska) Behrend; his children, Dr. Robert (Karen) Behrend and Nicole (Grant) Morton; his grandchildren, Dr. Maxwell Behrend (Kaitlin), Dr. Samuel Behrend (Amelia), William Behrend, Charles Morton, and Jack Morton; and his great-grandson, Patrick Behrend.
Frank’s family would also like to express their heartfelt gratitude to his son-in-law, Grant Morton, for the extraordinary care, kindness, and support he gave Frank during the final months of his life, when it was needed most. His devotion to Frank and to the family will never be forgotten.
From a little boy forced to flee Nazi Germany, to a refugee in Shanghai, to a new immigrant arriving in America at nine years old, Frank’s journey was extraordinary. He went on to become a respected physician, deliver thousands of children into the world, raise a family he dearly loved, and live a life grounded in honesty, compassion, curiosity, and service to others.
It was, by every measure, a life well lived.
Memorial service arrangements will be announced at a later date.
GUESTBOOK
I am so sorry for your loss. Dr. B delivered my son Kyle 10- 10- 92. You have my deepest sympathy. -Shawn Risner
Rob, condolences to you and your family over the loss of your father. -Mark and Mary Ennes
I had the privilege of getting to know Dr. Frank Behrend while working with his son, Dr. Robert Behrend. I will always remember him as a kind and respected person, and I am grateful to have had the opportunity to know him. My deepest condolences to the Behrend family during this difficult time. May you find comfort in the wonderful memories you shared and in knowing how many lives he touched. He will be greatly missed. -Dr Frankie Montanez
Sorry for your loss, Dr Behrend deliverd my 9 pound baby girl on 10-10-1974. I remember how calm he was when things started to go slightly wrong. He always treated his patients well. Rest in peace doctor. -Candace Banker
