Retired Air Force Maj. Frank L. Laifer, 89, died Oct. 8, 2022 in New Braunfels, where he moved from Syracuse, New York, to be near family.
Graveside services with military honors will be held at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery on Oct. 13 at 9:30 a.m.
Mr. Laifer was born on July 19, 1933, in Brooklyn, New York to Solomon and Mollie Stern Laifer. He grew up in Brooklyn and graduated from Stuyvesant High School in 1951.
He graduated from Brooklyn College with a Bachelor of Arts in 1955 and earned a master’s degree in business from Syracuse University.
He married Renee Brown on Dec. 26, 1955, in Brooklyn.
Mr. Laifer was an Air Force officer, and his career took the couple to various bases during his lifetime, including Hawaii, Mississippi, Texas, California and New York.
A Vietnam veteran, Mr. Laifer served his country for 23 years. He started his Air Force career as a flight navigator in Houston in 1955, and he retired as an Inspector General team leader for the Ground Radio field in 1978 at Hancock Field, Syracuse, New York. Military honors and awards include the Air Force Commendation Medal, Bronze Star and Vietnam Service Medal.
After retirement, Major Laifer earned his New York State Public School Teaching Certificate. He taught high school ROTC courses for several years.
He then became the security officer/arms instructor for Nine-Mile Nuclear Plant. After that, he was a public school substitute teacher at various schools in the Onondaga and Liverpool Independent School Districts. He fully retired in 2013.
Major Laifer served in various volunteer roles, including as a Boy Scout troop leader and a longtime board member for the Onondaga Public Library System. He also was the test proctor for Mensa International. In addition, he served as an interim rabbi at Suburban Jewish Center Synagogue in Syracuse and was a Bar Mitzvah instructor.
He enjoyed crosswords (on the level of the New York Times), reading, walking his beloved dog Ginger and dabbling in electronics. His greatest joy was mentoring youth.
Survivors include four children, Martin Laifer of Savannah, Georgia, Sharon Laifer Ross and husband Mike of New Braunfels, Lisa Carnley of Lampasas and Stephen Laifer of Rochester, New York; two grandsons, Jason and wife Kelsie Carnley of Seguin, and Zach and wife Courtney Carnley of Lampasas; six great-grandchildren, Landon Carnley, Myles Carnley, Owen Carnley, Beckett Carnley, Chandler Carnley and Hadley Carnley; and several cousins.
He was preceded in death by his wife of 66 years, Renee Brown Laifer, on July 17, 2022.
Memorial donations may be made to Humane CNY, 4915 W. Taft Rd., Liverpool, NY 13088.
