On a sunny Floridian afternoon, family, friends and local leaders gathered to celebrate a rare milestone. Dr. Frank R. Madden, EdD – World War II Navy veteran, educator, public servant, two‑time cancer survivor, and long-time Chevrolet driver – turned 100 years old. As the crowd sang and a new Chevrolet Traverse eased up to the curb, the scene captured a rare double centennial. This 100‑year‑old Chevy customer received his new car courtesy of a 100‑year‑old Chevrolet dealership, Cox Chevrolet of Bradenton.
Frank Madden with his cherished old Chevy Express
Born April 27, 1926 in Pittsburgh, Madden came of age in the shadow of the Great Depression. He worked multiple jobs to support his family and watched the city of Pittsburgh reel from the Great St. Patrick’s Day Flood of 1936. Those early years taught him to confront hardship head‑on, with courage.
At 17½, Madden rushed to finish his high school coursework early, to enlist in the Navy’s elite V‑5 aviation program. The program required a college degree to enter, which sent Madden off to his studies at Bethany College and then University of Virginia, before he shipped out as a seaman first class aboard the USS Romulus (ARL‑22), an Achelous‑class repair ship that kept the Pacific Fleet in the fight. The Romulus carried him from the Panama Canal to the Mariana Islands and, eventually, to a devastated Tokyo, which brought the human cost of war into sharp focus for Madden. He returned home in 1946 with an honorable discharge and a determination to keep serving others.
After earning his degree in Psychology and Sociology, Madden later joined the Pennsylvania Department of Health and Welfare in the late 1960s, then moved to Harrisburg State Hospital, the “City on the Hill,” where he designed a pioneering Community Placement Program that helped patients – including veterans – transition from institutional care to independent living.
In the 1970s and early ’80s, as an associate professor at Shippensburg State College, Madden created the Human Relations Lab, a hands‑on course still offered more than 50 years later, and built internship programs strong enough that the National Association of Social Workers asked him to evaluate others across the region. Along the way, Madden earned advanced degrees in public health and education, finishing his doctorate in his fifties.
Relocating with his wife, Margaret Louise, to Florida’s Gulf Coast, Madden “retired” into entrepreneurship, expanding a four‑machine vending business to more than 300 units before shifting into real estate. During his “retirement”, Madden faced cancer twice and beat it both times, crediting skilled care, complementary therapies and the toughness forged through his experiences in Depression‑era Pittsburgh and wartime service.
Through it all, one constant served as a faithful companion: a late‑1990s Chevrolet Express 1500 Gladiator passenger van that Frank still proudly drives around Holmes Beach. For Madden, the careworn Express is more than transportation. It’s a symbol of the spirit of independence and resilience he’s carried through ten decades.
That long‑term loyalty set the stage for a uniquely Chevy celebration, as Cox Chevrolet also marks its 100th anniversary. Together, Chevrolet and Cox arranged a co‑funded SUV lease on a new Chevrolet Traverse – a practical way to support Frank’s mobility and honor his decades‑long relationship with the Bowtie.
On April 27, as friends and neighbors flowed through Madden’s open‑house birthday party at his Holmes Beach condo, the Cox Chevrolet team staged a grand delivery, pulling the Traverse up to Frank’s front walk. The Mayor of Holmes Beach and Holmes Beach’s Chief of Police stopped by to show his appreciation for the Navy veteran and longtime public servant.
Frank’s reaction said it all. He was ecstatic with his new Traverse and especially loved the assist steps, testing them immediately and climbing in and out on his own. For a man who worked until age 90 and still approaches life like a “Mr. Fix‑It,” that independent first step into his new Chevrolet mattered as much as any birthday cake.
For all the attention on the Traverse, Frank kept coming back to people. He told guests the best part wasn’t the vehicle in his driveway – though a new ride never hurt anyone – but meeting the team who made it happen, from the Cox Chevrolet crew to Chevrolet field staff and GM leaders.
The honors stretched from the local city hall to Washington, D.C. Madden received a signed letter from the President of the United States recognizing his service to his country and contributions to his community. In return, the former Bethany Bison and Virginia Cavalier (once nicknamed “Mad Dog” Madden) handed out custom football cards printed with his old gridiron stats.
Asked what stood out most during his centennial celebration, the 100-year-old didn’t hesitate: it was the people who showed up, from family and friends to dealership staff and city officials. The Traverse, he added with a grin, was there to make sure he'll never have to slow down.
