Frank Lakin, a longtime University of Northern Colorado teacher and administrator, died Wednesday after an extended battle with leukemia.

He was admitted to the Medical Center of the Rockies last week, then moved to the hospitals hospice area. Family members were with him when he died.

Lakin, 82, grew up in Santa Fe, N.M., when it was a small town. He loved to tell stories of the famous artists and writers who moved into town when he was a boy, and they were customers on his paper route.

He later attended Colorado State College of Education in Greeley, (now University of Northern Colorado), which was the same college his mother attended to become a teacher. He was at the college only a short time when he was drafted into the U.S. Marines and, after basic training, was sent to the 38th Parallel in the Korean conflict. His term in the military expired two months before the conflict ended.

Lakin returned to UNC, joined a fraternity, and became the student president of the college. It was then he met Donna Dhorty. They married while in college and were married 57 years.

Dick Bond was president of UNC when Frank was in the schools administrative offices, and remembers Lakin as having the support of the deans and the respect of the faculty. And as an alumnus, he was a never-ending supporter of UNC, Bond said.

Bond also said everyone who knew them also knew of the closeness between Frank and Donna Lakin. It was a heartwarming relationship, Bond added.

The couple had three sons: Dr. Greg Lakin of Wichita, Kan.; retired Coast Guard Capt. Gary Lakin of Virginia Beach, and Dr. Terry Lakin of Pueblo.

Frank graduated in 1955, and began a lifetime of devotion to UNC, serving in almost every level of the college, from part-time teacher, to acting and interim president of the university. He served a fellowship at the Lab School, then became admissions officer for the college. He left Greeley for two years to earn his Ph.D. from Oregon State University, then returned to the college he and Donna loved.

In his career, he served as assistant to the dean of the Graduate School; vice president for Academic Affairs; and he served as acting president of UNC twice and was interim president in 1971.

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Longtime UNC prof, administrator Frank Lakin passes away