Dr. Frank Apthorp Vaughan, 74, passed away on December 20, 2025, in Burlington, Massachusetts, after a long and courageous battle with Parkinson’s disease, with family at his side.
Frank was the son of William Vaughan and Dora Kendall Vaughan. Frank also deeply loved and missed his stepmother, Phyllis Bouchard Vaughan, who passed away in 1962.
Frank graduated from the Holderness School in Plymouth, New Hampshire. He went on to earn his undergraduate degree from Amherst College before pursuing a doctorate in zoology in Florida, and later, a business degree. His deep respect for science and meticulous attention to detail led him to a meaningful career for OSHA and overseeing occupational health and safety for the Veterans Affairs Hospital System of New England, where he worked for years to ensure safety and care for those who served.
Frank shared his life with his beloved partner and wife of 23 years, Gayle Lee Gillispie Pershouse Vaughan and was welcomed into the fold of her extended family and children. He was a loving husband and a stalwart supporter of her ministries. Together they were longtime members of the Parish of the Epiphany in Winchester, Massachusetts. A devout Episcopalian, Frank found both solace and purpose in his faith community.
He is survived by his step-daughter Sarah Day Pershouse (John Silano) and step-son Benjamin T. Pershouse (Carolyn), as well as his cherished grandsons Brian Pershouse and Jack Silano and Gayle’s stepchildren Didi and Edward Pershouse. Frank is also survived by several loved siblings including William, Ellen, and Amy, Lisa and a host of extended family and friends who will dearly miss him.
Frank was a man of few words—unless something stirred his passion and then he got a bee in his bonnet — but those who knew him well were often caught off guard by his dry wit and twinkling sense of humor. He had a gentle spirit and a kind heart.
A man of many talents and interests, Frank had an affinity for art and sculpture—particularly metalwork—and enjoyed birdwatching and travel. Frank was a top-notch scavenger. He had a remarkable knack for discovering hidden gems at yard sales or rummage sales and loved finding little trinkets and treasures for his grandsons. He always had a few little projects percolating around the house and on the workbench.
For 23 years, he walked daily around Horn Pond in Woburn, Massachusetts, where he lived with Gayle. Frank was also an animal lover with a special fondness for orange cats. He spent childhood summers on Monhegan Island in Maine where he became a very good sailor indeed and he retained close connections to his childhood companions.
He will be remembered not only for his intellect and dedication but also for the glint in his eye whenever chocolate appeared or when it was time to play Scrabble—a game where he was truly a force to be reckoned with.
We will all miss his quiet strength, steadfast love, subtle humor, dignity, fierce independence, and enduring kindness.
Frank was the son of William Vaughan and Dora Kendall Vaughan. Frank also deeply loved and missed his stepmother, Phyllis Bouchard Vaughan, who passed away in 1962.
Frank graduated from the Holderness School in Plymouth, New Hampshire. He went on to earn his undergraduate degree from Amherst College before pursuing a doctorate in zoology in Florida, and later, a business degree. His deep respect for science and meticulous attention to detail led him to a meaningful career for OSHA and overseeing occupational health and safety for the Veterans Affairs Hospital System of New England, where he worked for years to ensure safety and care for those who served.
Frank shared his life with his beloved partner and wife of 23 years, Gayle Lee Gillispie Pershouse Vaughan and was welcomed into the fold of her extended family and children. He was a loving husband and a stalwart supporter of her ministries. Together they were longtime members of the Parish of the Epiphany in Winchester, Massachusetts. A devout Episcopalian, Frank found both solace and purpose in his faith community.
He is survived by his step-daughter Sarah Day Pershouse (John Silano) and step-son Benjamin T. Pershouse (Carolyn), as well as his cherished grandsons Brian Pershouse and Jack Silano and Gayle’s stepchildren Didi and Edward Pershouse. Frank is also survived by several loved siblings including William, Ellen, and Amy, Lisa and a host of extended family and friends who will dearly miss him.
Frank was a man of few words—unless something stirred his passion and then he got a bee in his bonnet — but those who knew him well were often caught off guard by his dry wit and twinkling sense of humor. He had a gentle spirit and a kind heart.
A man of many talents and interests, Frank had an affinity for art and sculpture—particularly metalwork—and enjoyed birdwatching and travel. Frank was a top-notch scavenger. He had a remarkable knack for discovering hidden gems at yard sales or rummage sales and loved finding little trinkets and treasures for his grandsons. He always had a few little projects percolating around the house and on the workbench.
For 23 years, he walked daily around Horn Pond in Woburn, Massachusetts, where he lived with Gayle. Frank was also an animal lover with a special fondness for orange cats. He spent childhood summers on Monhegan Island in Maine where he became a very good sailor indeed and he retained close connections to his childhood companions.
He will be remembered not only for his intellect and dedication but also for the glint in his eye whenever chocolate appeared or when it was time to play Scrabble—a game where he was truly a force to be reckoned with.
We will all miss his quiet strength, steadfast love, subtle humor, dignity, fierce independence, and enduring kindness.
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