Les Frampton's Obituary
Ralph Leslie Frampton passed away on Friday, March 27, 2026, at Johns Hopkins Hospital-Oncology ICU. He passed peacefully with his wife, Kathy, and dear friends and bandmates, Robert and Gail Karge by his side. He passed on his terms and is no longer suffering.
Les was born on August 27, 1951, the son of Capt. Robert Leslie Frampton and Irma Lee Smith Frampton. He was raised on Tilghman Island, and graduated from St. Michaels High School, Class of 1969.
Les was athletic and played baseball and pitched for Tilghman Little League, Talbot County All-Star teams, pony league teams and was scouted by three professional teams until a nighttime game of red line with his friends resulted in a broken leg, rendering him "damaged goods" to the pros. He still earned the Best Athlete award at high school graduation. He would jokingly comment that his sports "claim to fame" was having his name on the same trophy as Harold Baines. Later in life, Les played from several years in the local men's softball leagues as a member of the teams Broad Creek and Stroh's.
After high school, Les went to work at Tilghman Packing Company as a warehouse foreman, a job he held until the plant closed in 1975. He then worked for JT Harrison managing three car washes and eventually leased the properties as his own business. In 1985, Les took up the game of golf and was immediately addicted. Tired of the tribulations of having his business, he went to work at Harbourtowne Golf Course in St. Michaels as a greenskeeper. In 1991, he was promoted to golf course Assistant Superintendent/Irrigation Tech and remained in this position until his retirement in 2016.
Les was also a very talented musician and singer. He started playing music locally in 1968 as the bass player for the band, The Inmates. In 1971, he was a founding member of the band, Krystal, playing rhythm guitar and singing leads with Steve Bryan, Gary Jones, Pete Marshall, Rich Wales and Jim Rodney. They were together until 1976. His other music associations include a duo with Stan Howeth; a duo, Southpaw, with Steve Bryan (both lefty guitar players); Broad Reach with Don Riffle, Walter Warrington, Robert Karge and Mike Nelson; Magic with Robert Karge, Gail Karge, Don Riffle and Pete Marshall; and Southbound with Roy Sadler, Colleen Sadler, Gary Jones (and then Mike McCue as drummer) and Tommy Newnam (and then Robert Karge as lead guitarist). Gail Karge became a member of Southbound a little later, adding her beautiful voice and harmonies. Les was a member of the acoustic trio, Home Brew, playing with Robert and Gail Karge until his death. The relationships Les had with all of his band mates over the years lasted beyond the band associations, remaining friends with all until his death.
In October, 1979, he married his wife, Kathy Lowery, and they made their home in St. Michaels. They enjoyed a great life together, including many golf adventures, playing courses up and down the East Coast, riding to the beach in their Jeep and working on home projects. They were not only husband and wife, they were best friends.
Les had a great sense of humor with an uncanny quick wit. He provided lots of laughs and good times for everyone in his company.
He is survived by his wife, Kathy, his brother-in-law, Darrin Lowery, PhD, sister-in-law, Colleen Sadler and her husband, Roy, and three nephews, Jack, Finch and Coby Lowery.
Les is predeceased by his parents, his nephew, Philip Sadler, and three nieces, Emma, Quinn and Blythe Lowery.
Les' funeral will be held on Thursday, April 2, at the Tilghman Methodist Church, 5731 Tilghman Island Road, Tilghman, MD. The service will begin at 1:00 with a visitation starting at 12:30. Serving as pall bearers are Stan Howeth, Robert Karge, Harry Keyser, Darrin Lowery, John Murphy and Roy Sadler. Honorary pall bearers are Carter Hughlett and Jason Tarr. Burial will be at Olivet Cemetery at St. Luke's Methodist Church in St. Michaels.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial donations to Tilghman Watermen's Museum, 6031 Tilghman Island Road, Tilghman, MD 21671, Tilghman Area Youth Association (TAYA), PO Box 55, Tilghman, MD 21671 or to AMP Studio: Academy of Music Performance (a nonprofit music school providing students of all ages to learn, play and perform: ampstudiorocks.com), 100 East Main St, One Plaza East, Salisbury, MD 21801.
Online condolences can be shared at www.framptom.com
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