Obituary: Frank Langton

Frank Reeve Langton, who practiced personal injury law for four decades, died May 28 in Lake Forest, Ill. at the age of 86.

The Detroit Cooley of Law graduate was the father of attorney/Fox 2 anchor/WWJ reporter Charlie Langton, who is married to Oakland County Circuit Court Judge Lisa Langton.

Frank Langton was born on Dec. 29, 1933 in Brooklyn, N.Y.

He graduated from State University of New York at Oneonta in 1957 and Detroit College of Law in 1966.

At Oneonta, he met his wife of 62 years, Judith Anne Gifford.

The 1960s were busy days, with the births of their five children and the establishment of Frank R. Langton & Associates, the personal injury law firm where Langton practiced law for over 40 years.

Langton loved being a lawyer, family members said. He cared about his clients, knew all the facts of their cases and attributed his success to always working harder than the others in the room. All of his clients were friends, and most of his friends eventually became clients.

Throughout his life, Langton pursued many interests.

In retirement, he had a ranch where he raised Limousin cattle and llamas. He hunted pheasant at his hunt club, deer and elk on trips out west, and kudu in Africa.

While Michigan was home, Langton was always near his children and 15 grandchildren, all across the country, owning homes at times in Florida, Arkansas and Illinois.

With his wife holding his hand, Langton died after suffering multiple strokes and living with dementia for nearly seven years.

His entire family was virtually at his side to say goodbye.

Langton is survived by his wife and their children; Charlie (Lisa) and Will, Meredith, Mason, James, and Meia; Danny (Mary Ann) and Robin and Jordan; Jimmy and Candace, Kennedy, and Taylor; Maureen (Nathan) Clayton and Elizabeth, Adam, Mary, and Benji; and Jennifer (Bob) Yarger and Bobby and Hilary.

He is also survived by his sister Patricia (Richard) Miele, sister in-law Marie (Doug) Maskin, and many nieces, nephews and friends.
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