Frank De Jalma Caple

Frank De Jalma Caple, 89, of Benton, born November 18, 1920 to Claude and Mamie Caple at England, Arkansas, died Wednesday, July 7, 2010 at Saline Memorial Hospital, after a long battle with Myelodisplasia, a form of cancer. He graduated from Benton High School, attended Henderson State Teachers College, and graduated from Draughon's School of Business. After the December 7th attack on Pearl Harbor, he enlisted in the Army Air Force and graduated a First Lieutenant in February, 1944. He was a P51D Fighter Pilot and was sent to England, where he was shot down by German fighters and captured by Nazi ground troops. He spent 11 months in a German POW camp, and was liberated on April 29, 1945 by General George Patton. After rehab in Miami, Florida, he returned to Benton, and enrolled in St. Louis Mortuary College, where he earned a degree in Mortuary Science. He worked at Ashby Funeral Home for a short time, and was then employed as Purchasing Agent for the Arkansas State Highway & Transportation Department, from which he retired in 1977. Frank was a magician for most of his life. After retirement, he made his hobby his passion and performed magic shows at schools, trade shows and retirement homes across the United States and Canada. After several years of school shows, he developed a two hour Mark Twain characterization show, "The Wit & Wisdom of Mark Twain", with long time friend Charlie Roark as his manager, appearing across the US, United Kingdom and Ireland. He always said his greatest professional joy was walking back out on the stage to a standing ovation. He is preceded in death by his parents, his brother, Claude Caple, Jr., and sister, Annie Kirk Thomas. He is survived by his wife of 68 years, Sylvia Cain Caple, daughters Pamela Thompson of Rogers, Arkansas and Debbie Johnson of Dallas, Texas. He leaves four grandchildren, Lisa Webb and Stephen Johnson of Dallas, Texas; Jimmy Thompson of Rogers, Arkansas; and Janelle Motz of Dallas, Texas, and 10 great-grandchildren. Visitation will be held Friday, July 9, 2010 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Roller-Ballard Funeral Home in Benton (315-4047). Funeral services are scheduled for Saturday, July 10, 2010 at 2 p.m. The family requests memorials may be made to UAMS Winthrop Paul Rockefellow Cancer Institute, 225 E. Markham St., Little Rock, Ark. 72201. Online guestbook www.rollerfuneralhomes.com/ballard.