Frank “Skip” C. Pettis III

Frank (Skip) Cranston Pettis III 73, passed away peacefully on October 31, 2022. He was the loving husband of Karen (Griffin) Pettis. Born in Providence, he was the son of the late Frank C. and Jean (Brindle) Pettis. Frank known as Skip to all his family and numerous friends, was born with boating and the water in his blood. He grew up in Pawtuxet Village and with his family attended Trinity Church where he was an altar boy.

He graduated from Rogers High School in Newport, RI and went on to graduate from Rhode Island Junior College with a Machine Processing Degree. After that he worked at Pettis Boatyard on Pawtuxet Cove with his father. He took over the business after his father’s passing, giving him the ability to continue his love of boating and forging friendships that would last his whole life.

Some of Skip’s fondest memories would be raising his two beautiful daughters Joy and Holly with his wife Karen. They enjoyed taking boating trips to Block Island with family and friends during the summer season.

Skip was a devoted Papa to his two grandsons Alex and Julian. He took much pride and love in watching and encouraging them. They too have experienced the joy of growing up at the boatyard, boating and just being with Papa. Skip encouraged them both in their love of baseball and could always be seen at their games.

As a boater, Skip helped rescue several people at different times over the years. He received an award from Safe Sea for rescuing a winter kayaker. In addition to managing the boatyard, Skip attained his Boaters Captains License. This enabled him to introduce others to his passion for fishing on his boat Dorado off the New England Coast.

He was an avid fisherman and along with some of his closest and oldest friends, he loved to fish for tuna. In the early 1970’s Skip was one of the pioneers who developed new technology and techniques for tuna fishing in Cape Cod Bay and offshore in New England. In 1985, he was the winner of the Rhode Island Tuna Tournament catching an 853-pound tuna. Skip was a charter boat Captain out of Galilee for 25 years.

One of his favorite things aside from his family and the boatyard was his love of animals. Oliver the cat, was his past sidekick who would always greet him when he arrived at the marina. Skip was a fixture in his beloved Pawtuxet Village, his lifelong home. His presence, sense of humor, and friendship will be missed always.

Besides his wife, daughters, and grandchildren he is survived by his two sisters, Jean Ann Sherry, and Sandra Cuddy as well as many friends.

His funeral will be held on Monday November 7, 2022, at 9 AM from the Jones Walton  Sheridan Funeral Home, 1895 Broad St. Cranston followed by Funeral Service at 10 AM in Trinity Episcopal Church, 139 Ocean Avenue Cranston.

Visitation will be Sunday 2 to 5 PM. 
Burial will be in Swan Point Cemetery, Providence.

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