He was  my  Football  coach  at Coupeville Washington  high school  1970-73 when he  left  he truly  missed.  We also  road motorcycles  too. RIP  Mr Steele
Mark Franzen 
Coupeville high school 
Class of  1974

My condolences to the family of Mr. Steele.........he was always one of my favorite Teachers at Top-Hi!  He was engaging and had a wonderful sense of humor.  He showed much courage as a Drivers Ed Instructor, getting into a car with multiple students with little, or no drive experience.  This had to be terrifying  and yet he did it every single day.  He was adamant about completing our "head checks" and I cannot tell you how many times that has saved me!  Honestly, I have had a few close calls over the years & have silently always thanked "Mr. Steele" for drilling that check in.  He was so very dedicated to the students & athletes & we were blessed to have him as a Coach & Teacher.  Rest in Peace Mr. Steele.......you were loved and you will be missed!  

My deepest condolences to the Steele family.  Mr. Steele was one of my favorites at Davis High back in the 90s...He pushed us to our limits (and beyond) in the weight room, and encouraged us to be our best in life. He was be dearly missed. And to his family who I was lucky enough to also get to know, my thoughts and prayers are with you all. 

Here's Oscar Martinez and I at  a meet, notice he's watching to see if I complete the lift.  All Mr. Steele bringing out our best.  Best times in our powerlifting family under Mr Steele. 

Hey Mr Steele,
 Thankyou for being an inspiration to me and  creating the "munchie" award for the little guys.  Even though pound for pound we were the strongest.  I won , 2nd and 3rd places at all our meets and even a few 1st place trophys.  Oscar Martinez and I were back and forth under you, taking home the trophys,  except when that guy from Hoquim was competing.   But we never gave up because of you.  You will always be remembered as the GOAT to me.
Anthony Bueno 

Hello, I met Mr.Steele at good ole TopHi in the 90s. I heard about this powerlifting team once I hit the 9th grade, but I end up going to a different High School my freshman year.
I did go back to Toppenish my sophomore year and joined the Wildcats powerlifting team and I was so shocked at how serious the lifters were. I jumped right in and got one of those t-shirts once reaching the goal of all three lifts combined as one. Great memories shared with this team.

I did not know he passed away and my condolences go out to the family and friends who knew him.



Frank was a very giving person. He gave of his time, talents and care. He always lifted your spirit with his humor. Prayers for Susan and the family. May you be surrounded in God’s love and peace. 

Frank Steele.  And i mean Steal.  Tough and never surrendering,but with a great heart. Frank Will always hold a special place in my memories,i was a TA for Frank in Drivers Education Class  at Toppenish Hi School  and he was  my football coach and mentor.  He will be missed greatly by many including me.  I am proud to have known such a man . rest in peace my friend. RH

My mom, JoMarie Carson, and I would like to extend our deepest of sympathies to the Steele family.

Coach Steele, You Are and Have ALWAYS Been the Biggest Impact for Many of Us. Thank You for Your Guidance & Passion You Shared with All of Us. Your Training Has Always Been Used Throughout My Life. You Will Be Missed and Always Loved. ♥️😔 RIP COACH STEELE! 🧸🕯

I wanted to thank Mr. Steele's family for sharing him with our school and students. I was a student of Mr. Steele's, off and on for 3 years at Davis High School.  He was so inspiring to me and I was not a great lifter! But when I finally won 1 t-shirt, I was so proud! And it was because of him....I still have it and I graduated over 25 years ago. I even took a zero period class one year, just so I had room in my schedule to take weights. I also remember him hosting lifting events at Davis...I didn't compete, but I helped out and those kids were so driven and inspiring, all because of Mr. Steele.  Very fond memories of that weight room, with the radio blasting, and Mr. Steele as our leader. I am so sorry for your loss. Lots of love to your family. xo, Joelle (Staudinger) Loveless

I am at a loss.  Frank Has been an integral part of our family before i was born.  He was one of my Dads best friends and even lived with him and his family for a time.  Frank was like a uncle to me, he attended some of my games when i was in high school and always had some uplifting and positive advice as any great coach would.

When i came to Yakima in 1986 i was able to reunite with Frank and his Family.  Frank and i coached babe ruth together and he invited me to coach on the Tophi football staff but work commitments prevented that.  I was always grateful he had respected me enough to ask.  I always loved showing up at his weightlifting class in my WSP uniform and pretending to arrest him in front of the class!  Many great and fond memories!  RIP Coach!

Mr. Frank Steel was an insertion to me. My fondest memory is when his family took me to Whidbey Island on their vacation.
As we got on the fairy his youngest daughter started running towards the end of the doc, I caught her and brought her back to the car.
Frank said I was his hero. I believe he was the hero. I thought a lot of him and am thankful he took the time to teach me to be a better person.
Frank and I often cut fire wood after school for extra money.  What good memories. My condolences to the Steel family.


I would just like to offer my condolences from the Leon Strom Family. Our father had passed away in September. They spent many years together coaching football at Toppenish High School. And shared many memories together. 

Cousin Frank was one of my first playmates.   He was an organizer of games for all the cousins and later grandkids.    I recall family reunions where my brothers called him the PE teacher.   My memories bring a smile to my heart.  RIP , dear cousin 

As the very first face that I saw on the first day of summer weightlifting; and the predominant voice through endless grueling practices and workouts; all the way through graduation day, coach Steele was always a positive and motivating influence. 

He had a knack for inspiring the uninspired (and even the uninspiring like yours truly). I am sad to read that he has passed. But I am glad and happy to have known him. And I am grateful to be just one of the many lives he touched. 

RIP, coach Steele. 

Coach Steele, you’ve had a huge impact on  me throughout my life.  You inspired me to work hard, never give up, and to be mentally tough.  Thank you for being the person you were and being apart of my life.  RIP coach!!!

Coach Steele taught and motivated my son Christopher to new plights. The Metal Patch was a transformation that only Frank knew how to do. And he was dam good at motivating his students! 
We became friends and we fished the Columbia River together. Lots of fond memories of him. R.I.P. MY DEAR FRIEND.

If I look back on my life and point to one person who made the biggest difference it would be coach Steele. He literally made me a stronger person, not just physically but mentally. He taught me how to thrive when things get really tough, how to embrace hard work, and that I'm tougher than I think I am. I honestly don't know what I'd have done without those lessons. I'll be forever grateful for his mentorship. 

OBITUARY

Franklin Merle Steele

December 18, 1942 – February 28, 2021

Show your support

Add a Memory

Share Obituary

Get Updates

Services