Frank Melvin Conaway Sr., who died at his home Feb. 15, was remembered Monday as an accomplished African-American insurance agent, state delegate, Baltimore City Circuit Court Clerk, father and friend.
Speakers at his funeral at Morgan State University's Murphy Fine Arts Center praised Mr. Conaway, who was 81, as a fighter and tireless advocate for the city of Baltimore and its citizens.
Lt. Governor Boyd Rutherford said he knows a lot of Franks, but he knew instantly which Frank the text message notifying him of the long time court clerk’s passing was referring to.
"It's rare that someone is just going to say one name and when you say Frank, you know, it's, you know, it's Frank Conaway Sr.," said Rutherford.
Alfred Nance, the chief judge of the Baltimore City Circuit Court, said Mr. Conaway was a significant member of the courthouse family as well as a long-time resident and neighbor in the Ashburton neighborhood of Northwest Baltimore.
He spoke of Mr. Conaway’s history of tireless campaigning and his recent change in party registration, from Democrat to Republican.
"I suspect Frank is in heaven today still campaigning," Nance said. "I'm not quite sure St. Peter has checked his party affiliation."
Former Congressman and NAACP President Kweisi Mfume said he and Mr. Conaway both talked of changing parties as long ago as the city election of 1983.
"We both were going to jump; we were so upset at the time," Mfume said, "but we were good; we hung in there."
State Comptroller Peter Franchot praised Mr. Conaway as a dedicated public servant who was “never beholden to city hall, Annapolis insiders or party bosses.”
"Frank was beholden to [only] two things," Franchot said, "to be fiercely independent to the fiercely independent convictions he had and to the community.
Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake also spoke at the funeral, along with U.S. Rep. Elijah Cummings, City Comptroller Joan Pratt, City Council President Jack Young and City Councilwoman Mary Pat Clarke among others.