William A. Frankonis, Jr. ("Cap'n Billy If'n"), 70, of Delmar, New York, died Thursday, April 10, 2008 at St. Peter's Hospital. He was born in Bridgeport, Conn. on May 15, 1937 to the late William Frankonis, Sr. and Antoinette Volpe Frankonis. He was treasured father to Christopher "Kit" and Melissa; father-in-law to Chris; proud grandfather "Pa" to Lex; once-husband and continued friend to Elaine; and longtime special friend to Olga. He is also survived by several cousins. A professor at both Empire State College and SUNY Albany, and more recently, before retiring in 1992, deputy producing director of the New York State Theater Institute, he mentored, guided, and inspired a community of… creative individuals, becoming their respected colleague and friend. A successful director at NYSTI, he was also an author of numerous novels and plays. He was the recipient of a 2004 Audie Award for the audio book adaptation of his play, The Killings Tale and, through NYSTI, he successfully partnered with Warner Home Video and DVD to create a video version of his original work A Tale of Cinderella. A man who believed "children are jewels of immeasurable worth," he loved long walks, the Red Sox, Cape Cod, music, and inspiring people to believe in the magic within themselves. He will be missed by family and friends alike and would wish to all those in his life, "A bit of sun, and the touch of love's hand."