James Richard Frawley

Dick Frawley might not have been born with a wrench in his hand but he picked one up at an early age. Then set it down, assuming he would go to college and grad school to become a veterinarian. The selective service lottery interfered, when, in true luck-of-the-Irish fashion, he drew number four. That assured that the Department of Defense would take over his education.  He selected Naval Aviation and went off to learn about flying P3 airplanes. While stationed in Brunswick, Maine he frequented the officers’ club, which resulted in his marrying the bartender.

From there it was to Villanova University to teach ROTC and get his Masters Degree in bio-chem (still planning to care for animals). When he heard from the friend of a friend about an old car in a back garage – a 1934 Rolls-Royce 20/25, coachwork by Mann-Egerton – his focus shifted. By the time he had finished active duty, his Rolls-Royce hobby had morphed into a business. He retired from the Navy as a Commander, founded The Frawley Company and moved it to Parkesburg, Pennsylvania.

Over the decades he has worked on more than three hundred Rolls-Royce and Bentley moutorcars, one Riley, one Hispano-Suiza and two Alvis. And for almost as many owners, who began as customers and ended up "family," along side the vendors who made each car a communal project and each day an adventure. In business he had two aims: to restore the cars to running their very best and to treat customers as he would wish to be treated.

He was a life member of the RROC and served as Chairman and Treasurer of the Keystone Region. For the club he conducted scores of seminars, both local and national, and wrote the definitive article on re-wiring a pre-war car (in brief, assume it will take four times longer than you think). His dream of helping animals was realized in the dozens of stray cats who wandered into the shop. He is survived by his wife, Judith Skillings, the cats that stayed and all the cars still running.