While many have described difficult tasks as requiring an act of Congress, when Frank Self was Greenville’s mayor, he needed an actual act of Congress.
During his term ending at the beginning of 1996, the city council was laying the groundwork to replace the old Mississippi River Bridge.
To do so required Congress to pass an actual act for the city to give the bridge back to the federal government. Construction on the bridge was finished in 2010.
Self died Sunday, July 21, at St. Francis Hospital in Columbus, Georgia. He was living in Smiths Station, Alabama, at the time.
Self was born in Leesville, Louisiana, in 1933. After graduating from Pioneer High School, he entered the United State Navy to begin a five-year stint. After his time in the Navy, he spent 22 years with the United States Coast Guard.
During his military career, which included service in the Korean Conflict, Self received the Navy Occupation Service Medal (Europe Clasp); United Nations Service Medal; Korean Service Medal; National Defense Service Medal; and Good Conduct Medal with five Bronze Stars.
Self had recently remarried to Carol, whom he had met when she and her first husband lived in Greenville from 1978-1983. The families had remained in touch throughout the years and Carol had helped on Self’s first campaign for superintendent.
The two were married in September 2018.
She said he had a set of criteria for any woman he might marry. She couldn’t smoke, drink, had to be a Christian and couldn’t have a dog.
Their dog was laying on his shoes Tuesday waiting for him to come home, according Mrs. Self.
“He knew his daddy went out of here in an ambulance,” she said. “He’s grieving his little heart out.”
She said the two went everywhere together. “The dog won him over,” she said.
Mrs. Self said her husband was still playing the piano up until his final hours.
“He’d had a heart attack on July 8 and then went to rehabilitation,” she said. “He passed all his tests and came home from the hospital.
“He’d had a pretty good Saturday and played a little piano and talked with visitors. Sometime during the night he had another massive heart attack.”
In his later years, Self continued playing piano at church and traveling to Alaska. He flew his four Cessna planes for 25 years.
Paul Artman, who succeeded Self as Greenville’s mayor in 1996, said Self had a lust for life.
“He was always tinkering. He enjoyed everything he did,” Artman said. “He was a real entrepreneur.”
Artman said Self made the unusual move of leaving county government, he was a supervisor prior to becoming mayor, for city government.
“I don’t know why he would do that,” Artman said. “But he loved being in public service.”
Artman said the military career contributed in many ways to the man Self was.
“He had a vast world experience,” Artman said.
There will be a visitation from 6-8 p.m. Friday, July 26, at Boone Funeral Home, Greenville.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests contributions to the American Heart Association, or your favorite charity.
