Obituary

Frank Aerdelman was born on March 19, 1977, in Mainz, Germany, six weeks premature to Mark and Dagmar (Doering) Aerdelman. He passed away on February 17, 2026, at the age of 48, after a short but courageous battle with cancer, with Brooke, the love of his life, and their cats, Lilly and Darwin, by his side.

From an early age, Frank showed discipline and focus. As a child, he carefully organized his belongings and approached schoolwork with responsibility and consistency.

After high school, Frank enlisted in the United States Navy. He served six years aboard nuclear submarines, working with Trident missile systems. He earned a Citation of Academic Excellence from the Trident Training Facility in August 1997. In November 2001, he received the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal.

Frank exhibited superior performance of his duties while serving as a member of Strategic Missile Division on USS Maryland SSBN 738. He re-vamped the training program into an organized and useful tool, greatly improving the division’s overall level of knowledge. His meticulous attention to detail and relentless pursuit of perfection led to his selection as the Battle stations Torpedo Contact Evaluation Plotter.

His work in the Navy supported his later roles as a technical writer working with defense contracting companies ultimately leading to his long-standing employment with Intel where he progressed through his role as tech-writer to project manager.

Outside of work, he was passionate about gaming. He favored FPS and MMO titles. He met Brooke through Final Fantasy Online, and their relationship became one of the defining joys of his life. He was loyal to his friends and never stepped away from a challenge.

He loved cars throughout his life — from matchbox collections as a child to his Nissan 370Z as an adult. When it comes to food his favorites were pho, sushi, clam chowder, and his mother’s potato salad.

When cancer challenged him, Frank faced it exactly as he faced every test before: with resolute courage, quiet strength, and relentless determination until his final moments on February 17, 2026.

He is survived by his parents, Mark and Dagmar Aerdelman; his brothers, Michael and Mark William; his Oma Hildegard Doering; his long-time partner Brooke Parr; and their cats Lilly and Darwin; and several extended family members.

He will be deeply missed, fiercely honored, and never forgotten.