Tank & The Septics - Photo Courtesy of Gary Nichols
Tank & The Septics
Hillsboro, Oregon
1962 - 1966

Members

Bruce Bye ~ Bass
Larry Congram ~ Keyboards
Steve Cook ~ Drums
Steve Ekman ~ Lead Guitar
LeRoy "Tank" Frengle ~ Guitar, Vocals
Shawn Mosley ~ Drums
Mark Todd ~ Keyboards
Don Womak ~ Drums

In Memory of

Steve Ekman
LeRoy Frengle

LeRoy Frengle, 57, ended a valiant run with cancer on May 4, 2006. Born in San Bruno, Calif., he grew up in Hillsboro, Ore., and has remained connected to many dear friends around Portland.

In the 1960s he became "Tank" of "Tank and the Septics," a garage band which held a reunion in 1997, wowing the crowd with tunes from the Beatles, Stones, Animals, etc.

He graduated from Hillsboro High in 1966, then sailed the seas as a merchant seaman. In the 1970s he and a dear friend performed duets for a gig at Fort Wright College in Spokane and he became entranced with the Fort's theater program. He started taking classes there and married fellow student Karen Lohrke.

After several years as an actor in training, he and his second wife, Sally, became part of the founding company of Interplayers Theater in 1980. They also contracted for years with Western Washington University doing improvisation for training purposes. He performed more than a hundred roles on stage, film and video.

He and Sally had a daughter, Jennessa, in 1983 continuing in their field backstage and became IATSE Union stage hands. He was fervent in the Union, becoming a representative, secretary/treasurer, call steward and eventually business agent. His sense of cause for the labor movement took him and Jennessa to march in the WTO rally in 1999.

LeRoy resided for the last 15 years on a beautiful lake in North Idaho where he nourished his soul with his love of nature. Over the years, as a Universal Life minister he reveled in the ability to join numerous couples in matrimony.

He is survived by his wife, Sally; daughter Jennessa; brother Dennis Frengle of Rochester, N.Y.; brother Doug Frengle of Hillsboro, OR; several beloved nieces and nephews in various places, and many dear friends and in-laws in the Spokane area.


Steve Ekman
The drummer from 1962 to 1963 was Don Womak. Steve Cook was the drummer for the band in 1964.  Mark Todd played keyboards for the band in 1965-66.

Gary Nichols, June 2004

When I was in the band ('65-'66) the drummer was Shawn Mosely. Steve Cook was in a band called "The Possessed" (or "Thee Pozest") the following year with Larry Johnson, Bill Carty, Cathy McCluey and me on organ. That's how I remember it.

When I was in the band ('65-'66) the drummer was Shawn Mosely.  Steve Cook was in a band called "The Possessed" (or "Thee Pozest") the following year with Larry Johnson, Bill Carty, Cathy McCluey and me on organ. That's how I remember it.

They say the name got mentioned in Look Magazine in 1966.  Of course Steve Ekman went on to play lead guitar, write, sing and record for the New Tweedy Brothers.  Larry Congram still sings, plays keys, sax, trombone and congas around the northwest.

 Mark LaRue Todd, October 2016 


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Last Update:  18 April 2017
Credits:  Gary Nichols, Dave Higginbotham, Karla Ekman Woolley, Mark LaRue Todd,
Band # 1188