Wing served San Antonio for 16 years in Council District 4, from 1977 to 1993. He served under four mayoral administrations – first under Lila Cockrell, then Henry Cisneros, Lila Cockrell again, and finally Nelson Wolff.
Wing was one of the first council members elected from a single-member district. Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff said Wing took office during a time when ethnic tensions were strained, and his effect on San Antonio was extensive.
"District 4 was sort of the central, south side of San Antonio," said Wolff. "And with a reasonable, calm voice, he reached out to north side representatives and tried to create a middle ground, and he did a great job of doing that."
Wing is thought of as a man of his word by former Mayor Bill Thornton, who told the San Antonio Express-News that if Frank Wing said something was going to happen, you could count on it. Wolff said he was the one who got things done.
"He was a big part of history," said Wolff, "and a lot of people - I'd say the general public - vast majority of them, probably didn't know who he was. But he was the guy doing all the hard, difficult work at city council."
Wolff said after Wing left office in San Antonio, he got city council to change the name of the municipal courthouse to the Frank Wing Municipal Building. Wing went to Washington to serve under then - Housing and Urban Development Secretary Henry Cisneros.
Wing passed away Tuesday morning while recovering from bypass surgery at a San Antonio hospital. He was 75.
