Michael M. Frank, longtime St. Louis defense attorney, former prosecutor, municipal judge and for many years a leader on the Regional Advisory Board of the Anti-Defamation League, died Tuesday, March 4, 2008 after a long struggle against numerous illnesses and complications. Mr. Frank was 68.

Mr. Frank was born in New York on Aug. 4, 1939. He received a bachelor’s degree in business from Washington University in St. Louis in 1961, and a J.D. degree from the Washington University School of Law in 1964. While an undergraduate at Washington University, Mr. Frank was student president of Hillel, where he was mentored by the late Rabbi Robert P. Jacobs.

Mr. Frank’s legal and judicial careers included serving as a state prosecutor for 7 1/2 years in the Circuit Attorney’s Office in the City of St. Louis. He retired after 30 years as a municipal judge in various muncipalities. He served as an instructor for the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Force and was a member of the Federal Hate Crimes Task Force and the Missouri Prison Arts Board.

Mr. Frank was a longtime partner in the Clayton-based law firm of Frank & Juengel, P.C. His specialities included criminal defense, sexual abuse, homicide and drug crimes. Mr. Frank was a member of the Missouri Bar, the Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis, the American Bar Association, the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and was a past president of the Missouri Municipal Judges Association. Robert Paskal, another retired St. Louis attorney and former municipal judge, told the Jewish Light of his admiration and friendship for Mr. Frank over many years. “I knew Mike Frank since elementary school, through college and law school and later in practice and through the Municipal Judges Association. I admired his work and am saddened by his passing,” Paskal said.

In addition to his membership on the local ADL Board, Mr. Frank was a member of Congregation B’nai Amoona, where he taught religious school for over 13 years. He was also a longtime member of B’nai B’rith.

Rabbi Carnie Rose of B’nai Amoona officiated at the funeral service. He also conveyed the condolences of Rabbi Bernard Lipnick, rabbi emeritus of B’nai Amoona, who was unable to attend. “For everything there is a season, and this is a time for remembering our beloved Mike Frank,” said Rabbi Rose. Also offering remarks at the service was Mr. Frank’s longtime law firm partner, Daniel A. Juengel, who paid tribute to his colleague’s dedication to the passionate practice of law. “One of Mike’s greatest joys was when one of his former clients who had listened to his advice to take a different path, would later greet him and thank him for setting them on the right course. He would not hesitate to help his younger clients get into drug rehab programs or to see a psychologist to help in their recovery.”

Mr. Frank and his wife, Roberta S. “Robbye” Frank, were the parents of two sons, Jeremy and Joshua Frank, each of whom offered remarks of tribute to their father at the funeral service.

“My Dad chose to become a criminal defense attorney because he strongly believed that he had to defend people to make sure that their constitutional rights were fully respected and protected,” Jeremy Frank said.

In his remarks, Joshua Frank recalled his father’s “faith, his dedication to the law, his love of the ADL and the strength of his convictions. “I can remember Dad bringing us an ‘action flick’ for us to watch, which turned out to be Exodus, a book I had not gotten around to reading; that was Dad’s way of passing along his religious faith and love for Israel to me.”

Survivors include Mr. Frank’s wife, Roberta S. “Robbye” Frank; two sons, Joshua Frank and Jeremy (Yfi) Frank; grandson Ari van Frank. He was brother and brother-in-law of Sandra (Neil) Gladstone; son-in-law of Ruth Shedlofsky; brother-in-law of Steven (Karen) Schedlofsky, Joel (Linda) Shedlofsky; and Gerry (Herve) Deschamps.

Burial was at B’nai Amoona Cemetery. Contributions are preferred to the American Diabetes Association or the American Kidney Fund.