CAIRNS, Jr., Frank Gilmore

Frank Gilmore Cairns, Jr. of

Smyrna, GA passed away peacefully on October 23, 2019 at Alto Memory Care in Buckhead/Sandy Springs after a brief hospital stay. Frank - or

Gilmore as he was called growing up - was born in St. Louis,

MO on January 10, 1932 to the late Frank Gilmore Cairns, Sr. and Georgia Louise Pierson

Cairns. His family lived for a short time in Panama City, FL, but Birmingham, AL was his hometown.

After graduating from Phillips High School in Birmingham, he served in the U.S. Air Force during the Korean War, before heading to University of Alabama where he joined Kappa Sigma fraternity and found one of the great loves of his life Alabama football. After graduating with a degree in Engineering, he moved to Atlanta, where he met his wife Nelda Reed of Whittier, NC at Grace United Methodist Church. They married on June 3, 1961 and recently celebrated 58 years of marriage.

At the age of 30, Frank decided to change his profession from engineer to stockbroker, working at some of Atlanta’s top brokerage houses - Courts & Co., Reynolds Securities, Inc., Kidder Peabody, Drexel Burnham & Co., and retiring from Wachovia. He loved the stock market, and it was serendipitous that market hours allowed him to spend time with another great love - tennis. He won a slew of trophies and titles, was ranked in the state, and continued to play until his early 80’s. Frank excelled at all sports, playing in a touch football league with ex-Falcon players well into his 40’s. He even once deigned to play a round of golf (something he vehemently argued was a non-sport) and shot a 90 with a set of spare clubs. Frank will be forever remembered by his wife Nelda; daughter Beth; brother Robert (Linda); in-laws Max (Clara) and Nayda (George); nieces Cindy (Joe) and Susan (Allen); nephews Edmond, Jerry, David, Chris, and Charles, Jr.; and extended family and dear friends. Frank is predeceased by his brother Charles Wallace, Sr.

A celebration of his life will be held on Sunday, November 24, 2019 at 2:00pm at Grace United Methodist Church, 458 Ponce De Leon Ave. NE, Atlanta, GA 30308.

Should friends desire, memorial contributions may be made to the Carl E. Sanders YMCA (to support tennis camps for underserved youth) or to Grace United Methodist Church.