Along our life journeys, we have been fortunate to meet many remarkable people. On one thing we wholeheartedly agree: Frank Shatz of Williamsburg stands among the most extraordinary. As Frank approaches his 100th birthday, we wish to express publicly our admiration, affection and gratitude for this exceptional human being.
Beyond journalism, Frank — ever the peacemaker — partnered with Jaroslava and Wendy Reves to establish the Reves Center for International Studies at William & Mary, creating a lasting legacy dedicated to fostering understanding, justice and peace in the world. Although originally reluctant to recount the horrors of the Holocaust, Frank has become a devoted spokesperson, doing his part so that present and future generations will not only never forget, but also ensure that such atrocities never happen again.
Despite all he has endured — the Holocaust, underground resistance, displacement and the challenge of rebuilding a life in a new country — Frank has consistently embodied the qualities we associate with the ideal human being. In every circumstance, he has shown resilience and courage. His interactions with others have been marked by empathy, integrity and humility. Even in the darkest times, he has carried an attitude of gratitude, grace and hope. And perhaps most surprising of all, the stories he has stored up and generously retold have always sparkled with flashes of humor — telltale signs of a man savoring to the fullest his long and fruitful life.
Guided by an unwavering inner compass, Frank has led a purpose-driven life, bettering the lives of countless people. We are abundantly blessed that our lives have intersected with his. We are profoundly grateful for his wisdom, his example, and his enduring efforts to improve life on Planet Earth.
Happy birthday, dear Frank! Many more!
— Frances Goodwin Holt on behalf of scores of friends of Frank Shatz
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Frank Shatz became an honorary alumnus of William & Mary in 2015; in honor of his lasting impact on our university, our Reves Center has expanded its global reach in no small part due to his partnership. The Alma Mater of the Nation warmly salutes his brave and inspiring spirit at this happy centennial.
— Katherine A. Rowe, William & Mary president
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It has been one of my life’s greatest honors to share the opinion page of The Virginia Gazette with one of my greatest heroes, Mr. Frank Shatz.
— Joseph Filko, salon member and friend
The finished manuscript of the book about Frank Shatz written by William Walker, a retired associate vice president for public relations at William & Mary. Walker presented the book to Shatz for his 100th birthday. (Kim O’Brien Root/The Virginia Gazette)
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Frank Shatz has been a mainstay of local journalism and the Williamsburg community since his first column appeared in The Virginia Gazette. Through the decades, his writings have reflected his life experiences of struggle, courage and resilience. He brings his unique perspective and thoughtful context to the news — local, global — connecting the people and places in our community with the larger world and its history. In so doing, he is as much an educator as he is a writer, and in that way his work mirrors Colonial Williamsburg’s mission “that the future may learn from the past.”
Happy birthday, Frank, on behalf of The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, which also turns 100 this year. Thank you for sharing your life and talents with all of us.
— The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
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Frank Shatz has lived a life defined by courage and a deep belief that people, through actions big and small, can make a meaningful difference in the world. His story is one of extraordinary resilience. After surviving the Holocaust and risking his life to save others, he became a champion of justice, knowledge and understanding as a journalist and an active member of the Williamsburg community.
Frank has spent a lifetime inviting his neighbors into a conversation. Drawing from his deep knowledge of both American history and international affairs, Frank’s columns help us to see the connection between our past and current affairs; between our local experiences and global events; and, perhaps most importantly, the connection between our day-to-day lives in Williamsburg and the lives of those in countries thousands of miles away. His columns are thought-provoking, his salons are warm and welcoming and his openness to dialogue is inspiring — gifts we can only repay by offering the same openness and empathy to future generations.
Frank is a steadfast example of grace and perseverance, always focusing on what unites us rather than what divides us. The city of Williamsburg is fortunate to call him a friend and neighbor. Happy 100th birthday, Frank!
— Williamsburg Mayor Douglas G. Pons
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Frank loves people. He cherished his wife. He’s good to his friends. And he’s the most optimistic person I know.
— Ellen Jaronczyk, friend
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I feel so lucky to have been one of Frank Shatz’s friends for the last 40 years. What do I admire most about Frank? Perhaps it’s his hopeful, enthusiastic attitude toward life. Having suffered through some of the worst historical events in the 20th century — the Holocaust, the communist repression of Eastern Europe — he has every right to be angry and depressed. But he’s not. He has told me many times that he enjoys life and remains optimistic about the future. “The pendulum swings back and forth,” he always says. Frank, though, isn’t the sort of person who just sits around and watches the pendulum swing. He’s the sort who works hard to make the pendulum swing in a better direction.
Over the decades, I’ve witnessed Frank’s countless efforts to improve the cultural life in Williamsburg. I got to know him, in fact, during one of his acts of generosity. When I was a new English professor at William & Mary in 1986, our department chair gave me the job of organizing a writer’s festival, but he said he only had a few hundred dollars in his budget to pay the writers. He also said he wanted me to invite half-a-dozen writers. Usually, you need at least several thousand dollars to cover the cost of travel, room, food and honorarium for just one writer.
After I began fundraising at the college, I was told that a local journalist, Frank Shatz, knew a potential donor and would try to convince him to establish an endowment for the English department’s writers series. I didn’t think anything would come of it. That was because I didn’t know Frank. Before long, I heard from our development department that someone named Patrick Hayes had donated a substantial amount of money to cover the costs of visiting writers. Almost every year since Frank made that happen, he has written articles in The Virginia Gazette to publicize readings I’ve organized in the Patrick Hayes Writers Series.
Frank has benefited my career in other ways, too. For the last couple of decades, he has come to my freshman seminar on World War II literature and talked about what it was like to be Jewish during the Nazi period in Europe. He gave a perspective to my students that they couldn’t get from books and that they will probably never forget.
I could go on about Frank’s generous, caring spirit, which I’ve grown to cherish during our many conversations at coffee shops in Williamsburg. But I think I should end by simply saying: “Happy birthday, Frank! You have given us so many gifts, and now you deserve all the gifts we can give you on your 100th birthday!”
— Henry Hart, English department, William & Mary
Columnist Frank Shatz and his late wife, Jaroslava, on top of Whiteface Mountain in New York. (Courtesy of Frank Shatz)
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Few people become centenarians — and of those, even fewer have lived a life as rich and remarkable as Frank Shatz.
A conversation with Frank at one of his frequent coffee klatches is a journey through time. His stories — shared with warmth, wit and remarkable clarity — are sprinkled with extraordinary experiences and memorable personalities from across the decades. To sit with Frank is not merely to hear history, but to feel it come alive.
His presence leaves a lasting imprint on all who have the privilege of encountering him. His curiosity, wisdom and generous spirit remind us that a long life is not only measured in years, but in impact.
Happy 100th birthday, Frank. Cheers!
— Jonathan L. Stolz, M.D.
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In reflecting on Frank Shatz’s 100 years on this earth, many others will pay tribute to Frank’s unwavering moral compass as a Holocaust survivor, resistance fighter and life saver who endured a decade of Communist Czechoslovakia while documenting the world around him for 80-plus years as a journalist — and they will be undeniably right, for Frank is a great man.
What some may not know is that Frank was also married to the beautiful love of his life, Jaroslava, for an astounding 74 years. Frank met Jaroslava on a street car in Czechoslovakia. Frank pretended he was lost so Jaroslava would walk with him to his destination, allowing him along the way to secure a first date.
Around Valentine’s Day, I asked Frank to tell me about a romantic grand gesture during their 74 years together — what he described was Jaroslava’s sacrifice and devotion to him. They were living in Communist Czechoslovakia when the notorious secret police arrived one night to arrest him for interrogation. Jaroslava refused to leave his side and insisted on being arrested, too. Frank credits her corroboration of his story with saving him.
They ultimately made their escape to the West in 1958, side by side traveling through three communist countries, so as to not raise undue suspicion, and then boarded a boat to Sweden. When the captain announced they had passed into international waters, Frank remembers that moment — of knowing he would be able to freely love his Jaroslava — as the most romantic grand gesture of all.
And love they did. From the time they moved to Williamsburg in the 1970s, Frank and Jaroslava could be seen every afternoon walking on Duke of Gloucester Street and then sharing a coffee while holding hands and exchanging kisses, acting like teenagers who had just fallen in love for the first time. And that’s how it always was, including as Frank cared for her exclusively through nine years of declining dementia.
Being worthy of receiving and openly giving love this big for this long is yet another hallmark of a great man. Oh, may we all be inspired by such love and carry it in our hearts for even a fraction of the time that Frank was blessed with it .
— Andrea Pierce Yalof, fellow salon member and friend, William & Mary Class of 1988
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Congratulations on your 100th birthday. Happy birthday!
— Floyd D. Edmisten, GMMC Ret., USS Yorktown, 1983-1986
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Congratulations on reaching your centennial. It is just one more of your wonderful accomplishments. I want to thank you for the great articles you wrote about USS Yorktown CG-48. They were so well written and interesting. I always looked forward to the next one.
— Merle J. Vogel Jr. ETCM (SW/SS/DV) USN, Ret., CMC USS Yorktown CG 48, 1984-1987
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On the eve of your 100th birthday, you have given me the gift of being able to recognize your immeasurable contributions to the citizens of James City County, the Greater Williamsburg area and indeed to people of conscience and good will throughout the world.
You, dear Frank, have been the eyes through which new generations have experienced the horrors of a century and the indominable spirit that has triumphed time and time again. Your reflections in The Virginia Gazette, to many you have never met, reminded us of your personal courage and devotion to freedom. To those lucky enough to be in your closer circle, you have generously shared your thoughts, seasoned by your active role in resistance to inhumanity and totalitarianism.
But you have also offered us a path to meet and learn from the many diverse voices that have found their way into your countless columns. Whether world figures or “ordinary people” who deserve elevation, you have offered a platform to let them shine.
Holding the chairmanship of the James City County Board of Supervisors this year, I can think of few functions that could give me more pleasure than to recognize your long and fulfilling life by proclaiming February 26, 2026, as Frank Shatz Day in James City County.
With best wishes for more years to come!
— John J. McGlennon, chair, James City County Board of Supervisors
Frank Shatz as a foreign correspondent based in Prague. (Frank Shatz)
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There would be no Reves Center for International Studies at William & Mary were it not for Frank and Jarka Shatz. We are grateful for his wise counsel and willingness to share his time and support over many years. His inspiration and spirit have been a guiding force for us and for the many students and scholars and dignitaries who have come through the Reves Center. And perhaps most important, he is a beloved friend and ally in our work to enhance the new and longstanding initiatives that connect our faculty, staff and students with the world. We wish Frank a very happy 100th birthday.
— Teresa Longo, associate provost for international affairs at William & Mary and executive director of the Reves Center
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Congratulations on your 100th birthday! We rejoice with you on your long, amazing life. We appreciate your friendship with our beloved sponsor, Mary Mathews, and her husband, Nick, and your attendance at our 40th anniversary celebration in Yorktown in 2024. We also greatly appreciate the years of journalistic coverage about our ship, her travels, engagements and historic nexus to York County and Yorktown.
Thank you for all you have done for so many during your lifetime.
On behalf of the crew, family and friends of the USS Yorktown CG 48, we send you our best wishes for a very happy birthday celebration.
— Darin Walter, president, and Craig Mass, vice president, USS Yorktown CG 48 Association
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Happy birthday, Mr. Shatz, and congratulations on your exceptional career and historic accomplishments. Our paths crossed many times in the past. We first met at Nick’s Seafood Pavilion while our cruiser was being built, ship’s commissioning on the Weapons Station pier and our return to Norfolk following our first deployment. I hope you would be pleased to note our ship’s operational slogan at that time was “Press On,” dedicated to future success supporting our wonderful nation. Once again, your life is inspiring to us all. Thank you.
— Carl Anderson, First Commanding Officer, USS Yorktown (CG 48)
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It is my honor to wish you a happy birthday on Thursday the 26th of February. Have a great day and many more to follow. I have always admired you. You have experienced many events that this world has gone through that many people have no idea occurred. I wish you a happy birthday and thank you for a lifetime of great contributions.
— Pat Trieloff, U.S. Navy (Ret.), plank owner, USS Yorktown CG 48, Oshkosh, Wisconsin
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While tributes to Frank Shatz focus on his lifetime achievements, such as his wartime, fearless work rescuing hundreds of fellow Jews or his later career as a journalist, my connection to Frank is highly personal.
In 1953, my mother, sister, and I were held in political prison for trying to escape from communist Hungary, via Bratislava, Slovakia, and were caught doing so. My mother recalled that my father’s first cousin was a journalist living in Prague. She smuggled out a postcard to Frank, simply addressed to Frank Shatz, journalist, Prague. By some miracle, the postcard reached Frank. When he looked at the sender’s address, he recognized it as a state prison. That night, he got on a train and traveled from Prague to Bratislava. He went to the prison at the address given, and, by some miracle, he was allowed to meet with my mother. She told him what had happened to us, and he promised to do his best to help.
Because I was only 13 years old at the time, I was kept not in prison but in a children’s detention center for juveniles. After getting the story from my mother, he also visited me and promised to get, if not all of us, but at least my sister (age 16) and me out of captivity.
As an influential journalist, he indeed returned a month later with permits to take my sister out of prison and me out of the children’s retention center. My mother had to stay in prison as a “security” measure that we would not try to leave the country again.
The months I spent in Prague in my uncle’s care were among the best of my life. Because I spoke fluent Slovak and learned Czech in a month, by then I could go to school like a native.
In January 1955, the Hungarian government requisitioned us, and my mother, sister and I were returned under secret police escort to Budapest. But luck was with us. Stalin, the dictator ruling all communist countries, died in 1953, the year we spent in Czechoslovakia. So, the entire communist system became less of a dictatorship, and once we spent a month in prison in Budapest, we were allowed to go home to our residence before our escape. Our lives continued as “normal”.
Then, on Oct. 23, 1956, Hungarians initiated an uprising against the communist regime. Initially, the Soviet troops withdrew from the country. They returned with double forces on Nov. 5, 1956. That is when the Hungarians began an exodus toward the Austrian border.
The reason we tried to escape from Hungary via the Slovak border in 1952 was that the Hungarian border was laden with mines, and instead of reaching freedom, one could step on a mine and be blown up. During the 1956 revolution, the mines had been removed from the border. Thus, during a precious couple of months before the occupying Soviet army closed the border again, 200,000 Hungarians walked across it into Austria. My mother, sister and I were among them.
We emigrated to the United States, and I lost touch with my family in Hungary and with Frank in Czechoslovakia.
Around 2016, I looked for Frank’s name online, and lo and behold, found him as a columnist for The Virginia Gazette. I wrote to him, and since then we’ve been corresponding daily.
Ours is not just a family relationship, but also a professional one. For many years now, Frank has been sharing his articles with me before they go to publication. I’m a professional writer and photographer, so my comments seem to help Frank catch the occasional phrase that needs editing. And while I was writing my latest book, Frank read each chapter and made valuable comments.
I feel privileged to have known Frank throughout my life, and deeply grateful for our remarkable friendship and family love for each other.
— Erika Fabian, journalist and Holocaust survivor
Frank Shatz stands with Erika Fabian after being reunited June 27, 2018. Shatz rescued Fabian from a Communist Hungary prison more than 60 years ago. (Daily Press file)
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What a thrill to celebrate the 100th birthday of our friend Frank Shatz.
It is easy to admire Frank’s many accomplishments. A hero of the Zionist resistance in Nazi-occupied Budapest, he risked his own life daily to save many others.
A multilingual journalist who speaks five languages. A Holocaust survivor and refugee from communist oppression. An immigrant who became part of the fabric of Williamsburg with his weekly newspaper column for 45 years. A fundraiser and benefactor of higher education who secured the funding for William & Mary’s Reves Center for International Studies. His signature beret. There are so many reasons we delight in seeing Frank every week.
Most of all, he is a wonderful human being — humane, thoughtful, funny and interested in everyone he meets. He raises friendship to a new level.
Happy 100th birthday, Frank! We love you and think of you as a member of the family.
— Jacob Thiessen and Andrea Meyerhoff, Williamsburg
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In the lead up to his 99th birthday in 2025, Frank Shatz noted that over a 45-year period he wrote about 2,000 columns for the Lake Placid News and The Virginia Gazette. While his many decades as a distinguished resident and journalist of Williamsburg are well-known to his many Virginia friends, readers and colleagues, his earlier and overlapping years as a journalist and local businessman in Lake Placid, New York, are an equally important part of Frank’s inspiring story.
After surviving the Holocaust and escaping from Communist-controlled Hungary in the late 1950s, Frank and his dear wife Jaroslava eventually settled in Lake Placid, where the mountain scenery recalled their beloved Alps. In Lake Placid they established a successful small business on Main Street by the Olympic Arena, selling jewelry, purses and quality leather goods. This gave him the financial cushion to devote himself to his first love — journalism — developing stories with a “World Focus” for the Lake Placid News and later The Virginia Gazette. With Lake Placid’s international ambiance, renewed with the 1980 Winter Olympic Games, Frank always managed to make some sort of connection between national and world events and topics of interest to his local readers.
I first met Frank and Jarka around 1973 when I received a phone call from this man with a heavy European accent who said he was a reporter for the Lake Placid News. He said he would like to interview me about the educational conference center my wife and I had recently established nearby. He observed a small group, human relations workshop in progress; then he and Jarka came to our nearby cabin in the woods for a meal and more of Frank’s probing questions. I don’t think Frank, a consummate man of ideas, ever really got the point of the 1970s “human potential movement,” but we became close friends, and over the years Frank wrote five columns on my exploits — climbing the Adirondack’s 46 High Peaks, writing the famous psychologist Carl Rogers’ biography, preserving Adirondack Great Camps, etc.
When I lost my second wife three years ago, I knew it would be my friends who would help me through the grieving process and arranged to visit and stay with Frank in Williamsburg, whose warm welcome and wise counsel never failed to restore.
Frank, as possibly your oldest surviving Adirondack friend, on behalf of all the North Country friends and readers who have been touched over the years by your friendship and words of wisdom, I say: Well done, my friend. You not only survived one of world history’s greatest tragedies, but you have also thrived for 80 years thereafter, enriching the intellectual, cultural and personal lives of all those whose path you have crossed.
Happy 100th, Frank!
— Howard Kirschenbaum, professor emeritus, Warner Graduate School of Education and Human Development, University of Rochester
https://www.dailypress.com/2026/02/25/on-the-occasion-of-frank-shatzs-100th-birthday/
