“He is the best person to talk to!” These were the words uttered by a local YMCA-goer and friend of Frank Hetrick before we even started our interview for this article. Known as the “most positive man in Boothbay Harbor,” Frank, at 80 years old, is a local legend in Boothbay, and for good reason.

Frank and his wife, Donna, migrated to Maine from a town near Hershey, Pennsylvania every April to reside in Boothbay as summer residents. The couple originally only stayed a week during the summer; however, in 2009, they made the decision to buy a home on Lake Knickerbocker so they could enjoy an entire season of beauty in the region. Frank and Donna met long ago on and around the milk trucks that their respective fathers worked on. Frank calls Donna “the most super-wife in all of history,” after the two struck up a romance that has lasted 58 years.

Frank attributes his work ethic, perseverance, and straight-up positivity to his parents. As a child, Frank hauled milk with his father from 4 to 7 a.m., ran a mile home, ate breakfast, and then went to school for a full day of lessons. Frank said that his mother was “the most positive and influential person” in his life. She inspired him, having moved to Philadelphia from Finland due to a famine without speaking a word of English. She helped provide for her family by working for the railroad executives. As a product of such strong role models, Frank grew into a hard-working, can-do, positive person. In fact, he hands out his business cards freely, with a message on the front that says, “Do not whine, do not complain, and never look for excuses.”

Frank’s early lessons of intermingling fitness and community became paramount to his character and were fulfilled in the roles he took on throughout his life. He was a middle school physical education teacher for 40 years, coached high school football for 53 years, and coached street hockey to youth. Frank coached thousands of kids over the years, six days a week, with care, dedication, and a desire to build personal character in athletes. His style of coaching is exemplified by his business card slogan, as well as the message on the back, which includes “rules to live by” from well-known coach John Wooden.

Given his upbringing, Frank relishes an active lifestyle, and he has excelled at it. Frank received a college scholarship for football, ran 10 marathons, captained every team he played on, and played hockey for seven years. Now, after recently celebrating his 80th birthday, his fitness regimen begins at 3:15 a.m. when, Frank says, he “practices walking” prior to heading to the gym to lift weights, hit the pool, and walk even more. At the Boothbay Y in the summers, Frank is the first one in the parking lot at 4:40 a.m. to walk around it to warm up before the doors open.

While Frank’s commitment to movement is very impressive, his commitment to kindness is what makes him a community figure. While conducting this interview with Frank at the Y, at least 15 people walked by to greet and talk with him. And if they didn’t say hello first, Frank made it a point to greet everyone warmly. He said, “I always try to have a smile on my face because there are so many people carrying hard things, and one smile and one hello can make a positive difference for someone.”

Already an inspiration, Frank’s determination to embody joy is further highlighted by his recent amputation. Due to a medical condition two years ago, Frank’s left leg had to be surgically removed above the knee. Despite this challenge, Frank has remained active and optimistic. Frank and Donna made to sure to give a grateful shout out to the team at St. Andrews’ Wound Center. Following his amputation and multiple related surgeries, Frank received “top notch” care from the medical team. He said, “After visiting my doctor in Cleveland, I was told to get back to Maine because St. Andrews did such a good job healing me.”

Frank said that he and Donna love to return to Boothbay because of the people in the community and at the Y. He shared, “Even when we’re back in Pennsylvania, there’s not a week that goes by that we don’t hear from someone from Boothbay.”

One of those regular callers is a close friend of Frank’s, Larry Brown, also a Y regular. Larry crashed our interview to heap praise on Frank. Larry said, “Frank brings such energy to this place and has such perseverance that makes him such a light to be around.” Frank made sure to highlight a few of his swimming class friends, including Scott Yeoman and Ed Tsuzuki, and the joy they bring him. 

The Boothbay YMCA plays a large role in Frank’s love for the area. The space for activity is important; however, Frank says, “It’s the people who do the work here that are unbelievable.” His long list of incredible staff and volunteers at the Y include Andy Hamblett, Erin Gray, Adam Taylor, Lisa McIntosh, Ivan Flores, Eric Graves, Larry Sawtelle, Caroline Earl-Ivens, Lolly Donatelli, Robert Wheeler, and the entire Harbor Montessori School staff.

According to Frank, he has been “the most blessed person,” and he lives his life like it. The joy he exudes is a choice he makes every day, and we, in Boothbay, are so lucky to experience it. As a nod to Frank’s “hockey name,” the nickname a hockey player gets to choose, he selected the French version of Frank: “François.” It’s the name his wife calls out to him every time he walks through their front door: “François is home.” Luckily for us, we get to welcome Frank home to Boothbay for the summer.