by Craig S. Harrison

We lost our valued friend, neighbor, and community leader Frank Lacombe on April 8, 2025. Frank and his wife Jeannie have lived on Pressley Road for 45 years and loved Bennett Valley. Frank served on the board of directors of the Bennett Valley Community Association from 2005 to 2021, and his fellow board members treasured his leadership, guidance, and local historical perspective.

Frank was born in Alhambra, California. He initially attended Cal Poly Pomona, but his studies were interrupted by a four-year stint in the Air Force. Afterwards he completed his education at Cal State University, Fullerton, where he earned his BFA. At Fullerton Frank met his soul mate Jeannie and they married in 1972. Frank and Jeannie moved to Sonoma County in 1974. Frank was employed by and retired from the North Marin Water District.

Frank and Jeannie moved to their Pressley Road property in Bennett Valley in 1980. Frank designed and both of them built a magnificent barn, much of it with their own hands. It became their home. They had to overcome a major obstacle when the Bennett Valley Design Review Committee claimed the barn and windmill did not fit in with Bennett Valley’s rural character.

Frank spent decades filling the barn with post-industrial age treasures. It was a focal point of the community where Frank and Jeannie hosted innumerable epic parties where old friends and new neighbors could meet one another and party into the night.

Frank was a rare and multifaceted gem, and the true friend everyone wants: honorable, generous, wickedly witty, and a true champion.

In honor of Frank’s memory, please consider donating to Wildlife Conservation Network, Save the Elephants, 209 Mississippi Street, San Francisco, CA 94107.