Frank Fleming was a renowned sculptor who was born in Bear Creek, Alabama, in 1940 and died in 2018 at St. Vincent's Hospital after a brief illness. He had five brothers and one sister. His father was a poor farmer, while his mother was exceptionally skilled at sewing clothes. While growing up, Fleming and his brothers and sister plowed with mules and grew vegetables for family consumption.
Fleming earned a Bachelor's degree in Art from Florence State College (now the University of North Alabama) and a Master's of Fine Arts from the University of Alabama.