Dr. Franklin Benjamin AVANT Seattle, December 20 - Franklin B. Avant, dentist and builder of the Tall Chief Golf Course, died in the Seattle Veteran's Hospital where he had been in hospice for seven weeks suffering from the final stages of PSP. He was 82 years old.

Frank Avant was born the fourth of five sons on January 21, 1923 in Cusco, Peru to parents John Ira Avant of San Antonio, Texas and Esther Recharte of Cusco, Peru.

He spent his childhood in Peru, beginning his schooling at a boarding school run by English Baptist Missionaries in Calca. He also attended schools in Puno and Arequipa. Frank spent summers with his family at their hacienda named Sauqui, a 144 square mile farm in the Andes Mountains near Machu Picchu.

After graduating from high school, he worked briefly for Pan Agra Airlines as a purser and traveled throughout South America. During WWII, he served in the United States Army Air Corps and was stationed at Rio Hato, Panama. After WWII, he took pre-medicine at the University of Georgia, Savannah, and dentistry at the University of Maryland.

Dr. Avant was a practicing dentist in North Bend, Washington from 1952 through 1996 and served the community for forty-three years. He was a life member of the American Dental Association. Dr. "Frank" Avant based his dental practice on how much he could do for others during a day's work and he lived by The Golden Rule. He touched many people's lives and many are thankful to have known him. Generous by nature, he assisted many patients financially by reducing his fees. He also saved the lives of several of his patients by detecting early signs of cancer.

Dr. Avant always focused on improving himself. He attended many conferences and kept up to date in his field. He incorporated new technologies and techniques into his dental practice. He was also a proponent for living a healthy, well-balanced lifestyle and believed in moderation in all things. He was an advocate for preventive dentistry, good nutrition, exercise, and had a very positive outlook on life. Dr. Avant graduated suma cum laude in 1952 from Baltimore College of Dental Surgery Dental School, University of Maryland.

He was a member of the Omicron Kappa Upsilon, Phi Chapter, and a member of F.J.S. Gorgas Odontological Society. He was ranked 4th out of the 100 dental students in his graduating class. His doctoral thesis on TMJ, with colleague Charles J. Averill, included groundbreaking research, and has been referenced in Swedish Dental Journals.

After receiving his doctorate, Dr. Avant interned at the United States Public Health Service Hospital, Seattle, as a commissioned officer, dentist. After his internship in Seattle, he began his private dental practice in the town of North Bend.

He designed and built the Tall Chief Golf Course, which opened in 1965. He owned and oversaw its operation until its sale in 1972. Frank Avant was a scratch golfer; he had three hole-in-ones during his lifetime. During his golfing career (1951-1996), he was a prizewinner of many amateur golf tournaments in Washington State. He was a member of the Sahalee Golf and Country Club and a former member of the Inglewood Golf and Country Club. Dr. Avant also served as a School Board member for five years in the Snoqualmie Valley during the 1960's.

Dr. Avant traveled extensively throughout South America, Europe, and The Caribbean. After his retirement, he volunteered with Health Volunteers Overseas as a teacher of dentistry in Zimbabwe. His most memorable trip, however, was in 1973, when he and his wife, Ann, rode their motorcycles (a Harley Davidson 1000 and BMW 750) from Seattle, through Central America and ending in Panama. They found this to be a rejuvenating six-month adventure trip. He made his final visit to Peru in 1998, accompanied by his family, a guide, and a 15-member crew. This was a trek made on horseback in the Andes on one of the ancient Inca trails leading to the family farm, Sauqui.

Dr. Franklin B. Avant is survived by his wife of 51 years, Ann, and two daughters Rue Avant and Nan Avant-Spady.