A. Frank Hicks
August 12, 2021
A. Frank Hicks passed away on August 12, 2021. He was 66 years old. Frank was a Regular Member of the ASQDE.
Frank graduated from the University of Mississippi in 1976 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Forensic Science. He completed an internship and training in the Questioned Document Section of the Georgia Crime Laboratory in Atlanta before returning to Mississippi to start the Questioned Documents Section in the Mississippi Forensic Laboratory in 1978.
Frank remained in charge of the Mississippi Crime Laboratory Questioned Document Section where he also trained Rigo Vargas and Katherine Schoenberger.
Frank was a Diplomate of the American Board of Forensic Document Examiners (ABFDE) and served as its President from 2000-2001 and for several terms on the Board.
He was a member of the American Society of Questioned Document Examiners (ASQDE), and a Fellow in the Questioned Document Section of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences (AAFS).
He was also a Charter Member and past President of both the Southeastern Association of Forensic Document Examiners (SAFDE) and the Mississippi Division of the International Association for Identification (IAI).
Frank retired from the Mississippi Forensic Laboratory in August 2002 and relocated to Long Beach, California. He went into private practice as a full-time document examiner with Howard C. Rile, Jr. at Rile & Hicks, the successor firm to Harris & Harris.
Frank gave generously of his knowledge and time to the profession of Forensic Document Examination, and produced numerous presentations, workshops, and publications over the years. He testified as an expert witness hundreds of times in both civil and criminal cases in local, state, and federal courts.
In addition to Frank’s many professional accomplishments, he was a devoted family man, a wonderful friend, mentor, boss and colleague. He was soft-spoken, thoughtful, and funny, well known for his dry sense of humor imbued with Southern charm. Frank was the epitome of kindness and honor. To everyone who knew him, personally or professionally, he was a gentleman of the highest integrity. He will be deeply missed.
In Memoriam: A. Frank Hicks from ASQDE newsletter
Frank remained in charge of the Mississippi Crime Laboratory Questioned Document Section where he also trained Rigo Vargas and Katherine Schoenberger.
Frank was a Diplomate of the American Board of Forensic Document Examiners (ABFDE) and served as its President from 2000-2001 and for several terms on the Board.
He was a member of the American Society of Questioned Document Examiners (ASQDE), and a Fellow in the Questioned Document Section of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences (AAFS).
He was also a Charter Member and past President of both the Southeastern Association of Forensic Document Examiners (SAFDE) and the Mississippi Division of the International Association for Identification (IAI).
Frank retired from the Mississippi Forensic Laboratory in August 2002 and relocated to Long Beach, California. He went into private practice as a full-time document examiner with Howard C. Rile, Jr. at Rile & Hicks, the successor firm to Harris & Harris.
Frank gave generously of his knowledge and time to the profession of Forensic Document Examination, and produced numerous presentations, workshops, and publications over the years. He testified as an expert witness hundreds of times in both civil and criminal cases in local, state, and federal courts.
In addition to Frank’s many professional accomplishments, he was a devoted family man, a wonderful friend, mentor, boss and colleague. He was soft-spoken, thoughtful, and funny, well known for his dry sense of humor imbued with Southern charm. Frank was the epitome of kindness and honor. To everyone who knew him, personally or professionally, he was a gentleman of the highest integrity. He will be deeply missed.
In Memoriam: A. Frank Hicks from ASQDE newsletter