Frank Matthew Slatinshek, age 96 of Alexandria, Va. passed away on January 26, 2015.

Born on June 11, 1918, Frank grew up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The son of immigrants from Slovenia, he was raised by his mother Angeline, who ran a saloon in Milwaukee. He attended Pionono High School, and graduated from Marquette University.

He volunteered for the Navy and received a direct commission, which was approved the day before Pearl Harbor. He spent most of the war in the South Pacific, first as skipper of a landing craft, later as Commander of a group.

After stints as a special agent in the FBI in Santa Fe, Los Angeles and El Paso, he had continued in the Naval Reserves and was recalled to active duty during the Korean War. After Korea and while in the Navy, Frank was loaned to the Central Intelligence Agency where he worked briefly in the Clandestine Services.

He was assigned to the Dept. of the Navy’s personnel bureau where he became an expert witness on behalf of the Navy before Congressional Committees, and this work eventually brought him an offer to join the staff of the House Armed Services Committee.

The Navy sent him back to Milwaukee where he taught Naval Science at Marquette University. He was both professor and student--studying at night to finish his law degree, which he received in 1957.

He then joined the staff of the House Armed Services Committee and rose to the position of Chief Counsel and Staff Director. He helped push through major legislation including a complete revision of survivor benefits for the military and a medical care program that was later used as a model for all federal employees. His finest achievement was working closely with HASC Chair F. Edward Hebert of Louisiana in the establishment of the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, MD.

After retiring from government service in 1977 Frank continued to work in various positions in the defense industry. He fully retired at age 80, and enjoyed traveling and spending time with family.

He was married to the late Mary Dobson for 62 years, and is survived by their daughter, Mary Catherine Prillaman of Kilmarnock, Va.