I have to admit, he did look pretty cool on that bike!

My dad loved and enjoyed the simple things in life!  Every day was fun for him!

My dad never said no to anyone.  Even if he couldn’t do what you were asking, he did and gave what he could.  My married life wasn’t easy and I was always calling my dad.  And then when Stevie came along, he was always there for whatever I needed.  He came by after work every day after Stevie was born just to hold him.  I was so thankful because that’s when I would finally get to take a shower.  My dad and Gloria were regular babysitters of course and Stevie loved being there.  When I would call my dad to check on Stevie, there were always at least 3 “Ai muchachos!” and “traveso!” in the conversation.  Sometimes I would call after Stevie and I were home and Gloria would tell me my dad was taking a nap because he was worn out and still he never said no to babysitting.  Over the past year or so, Stevie would visit my dad whenever he came up to visit and over the last couple of months, Stevie would also send my dad pictures and videos to his cell phone.
Looking back, I have 4 events that stick out in my memory as really fun times with my dad and family.  His 50th birthday party at Rosa’s Italian Restaurant, his 70th birthday party at my house, the day Patty rented a suite at Angel Stadium so my dad could watch his Angels in comfort, and his 79th birthday party this past February at Senor Pepe’s.  He was still getting around with his walker then!  His last week was extremely difficult.  He just got progressively worse each day.  Carrie and Patty went to see him on the Saturday before he passed and all he wanted to do was sleep and he was cranky.  Carrie was able to give him a small hug and tell him that she loved him and he very clearly said, “I love you, too.”  I think what I will cherish most is the last week of his life, being able to put him to bed and kiss him good night.  I kissed him good night for the last time just before midnight Sunday September 17th and I asked him to watch over Stevie.

I couldn’t have asked for a better wife for my dad.  Like I mentioned, Gloria noticed things were wrong with my dad early on and she took steps to help as much as she could.  Making him go see his doctor, making sure he ate right and took his meds.  Right around Thanksgiving 2021 was when he started falling.  That was the beginning of almost two years of everything else manifesting and continually declining.  And through it all, Gloria kept track of doctor’s appointments, medications, diet, and exercise.  Carrie was the first to step in and help.  She went to doctor’s appointments and researched VA benefits and I remember her telling me how much she enjoyed being able to sit and talk with Gloria when she went over.  My step brother, Ben and my stepbrother in law, Adolfo were also very helpful.  They would rush to the house to pick my dad up when he fell or help move him when it became impossible for Gloria to help him out of bed or the couch.  My step sisters were equally helpful checking in on Gloria and sending meals and helping out however they could.  Gloria never made a decision without us.  Every day of the last two years, I watched her devote herself to my dad’s well being.  I watched her feed him, clean him, encourage him to do his exercises, beg him to drink more water, and talk to him.  I would be so excited to tell Carrie when I would call and they would be in the middle of a conversation.  She kept him engaged mentally as well.  She painstakingly wrote his name on every piece of clothing he had when he spent a few weeks at Rosewood, she washed his clothes over and over and over when he’d have an accident, she made him pancakes, she ran out and got him a sugar free apple pie, she went without sleep, and struggled to move him from bed to the wheelchair to the couch to the dining room and back.  No matter how tired and frustrated she was, she kept on doing it.  I can never repay her for all that she did and everything she was to my dad.

As far back as I can remember, my dad went out of his way to make me feel special and loved.  When we were little girls on our birthdays, he would tell us the story of when we were born.  He would tell us that he’d be in the waiting room and a nurse would come out and tell him “Mr. Lopez, it’s a baby monkey!”  Patty and I would always gasp and sound shocked and my dad would always over emphasize his overly calm reply, “ok but is it a baby girl monkey or a baby boy monkey?” He always remembered birthdays, Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day.  2021 was the last year he drove himself to my office to see me on all 3 occasions.  I took him to lunch each time.  By this time, Gloria had already noticed things that were very concerning to her.  She advocated like crazy on his behalf.  At first, my sisters and I thought she was just being a little mean because that’s what my dad would say because she was limiting his driving and his activities.  The reality was, she was worried.
Gloria loved and cared for my dad every single day of their life together.  Like all couples, especially with a blended family, there were times when things weren’t so easy.  There were times when both Carrie and I moved in with them (at different times of course) and disrupted their family dynamic, even so I think my dad really liked having us around again.  They visited Carrie in Oregon, they went to Cabo, they loved the central coast, and they loved going to craft shows, car shows, and other community events together.  But I think through it all they were best friends.  They enjoyed eachother’s company and did a lot together.  I remember all the times I called throughout the years, the thing that impressed me most was that no matter which one you were talking to, the other one was paying attention and would chime in.  They were happy that I called and were excited to tell me things so they were both part of the conversation.  Their home was always welcoming and full of pets!

He was always at Stevie’s sporting events, too.  When Stevie was little he went to all of his soccer games, baseball games, and basketball games.  It was nice sitting in the stands with my dad cheering my little kid on.  Then Stevie discovered tennis and that became his passion and still my dad made every match he could.  The better Stevie got the more he played out of town so it became impossible for my dad to attend every match but if I didn’t call him to tell him how Stevie did, he would call me.
My dad was called “Grandpa” by most of his grandkids but my Stevie was the only one to call him “Papa” and Joseph and Joshua called him “Ponka.” My dad had a special relationship with his grandson, Joshua.  Joshua did martial arts and ran cross county.  I know my dad loved the time he spent with Joshua at track meets.  He loved track meets.  Joshua joined the armed forces because of my dad and I know my dad was very proud of the Marine he’s become.  Gloria was telling me that when Joshua was a baby, he would fall asleep on my dad’s stomach.  They also had a standing date on Veteran’s Day, they would always go out to breakfast and then go to the parade.
My dad also had a favorite pet, Forest.  I believe Forest was dumped out near the runways at the airport as a puppy.  The workers found him and I really think when they showed him to my dad, it was love at first sight.  Gloria had been wanting a puppy but my dad had been telling her no, they couldn’t have one.  For that reason, Gloria was shocked when my dad came home from work with a puppy.  Long story short, Forest was an important member of the family until he passed at home from old age.  As you’ll see in the video, he took tons of pictures of Forest and a picture of Forest was my dad’s screen saver on all of his cell phones.

He was always so proud to call her his wife.  I remember when they were still dating, he used to tell me that at times, it was like dating a celebrity because it didn’t matter where they went, someone would know her.  They made a beautiful couple and a great team.  He was also so happy that Gloria loved his family and not just us but his brothers and sisters, nieces and nephews and especially, his dad.  My grandma had passed years earlier when I was a little girl but my grandpa was still alive and my dad was over joyed that Gloria was kind and loving to his dad.
Like I mentioned, my dad wanted us all to go to college and he thought sports might help get us there.  Not only did he encourage us, he took an active role in teaching us and helping us excel in whatever sport we chose.  When I first started playing tennis, I had a cheap racquet I got from the local drug store.  I would hit balls against the back of our house from the driveway and after my dad came home from work, if it was still light out and on weekends, he would take me to the school by our house and rally with me on the tennis courts.  As I improved, he would invest more time and money.  He bought me my first high performance racquet, Donnay, that I took everywhere, and I remember it cost over $70.  I only remember that now because my dad told that same story to Stevie.  My dad never missed a match.  He would come straight from work in his work clothes and he would talk to my coaches and teammates.  Everyone was always glad and excited to see my dad because he paid attention to our matches and cheered us on.  He also never missed any of Patty’s softball or basketball games.  Patty’s basketball games were in the evenings so he would pick up me and Carrie and we’d all go watch together and then go out to eat.  Carrie wasn’t much into sports but she did play soccer for a short time or rather she put on her soccer uniform and looked really cute just standing out on the soccer field.

they joined the service.  Gloria just told me another story about my dad and his friend, Emilio, from back home who had also enlisted in the Army.  Apparently, my dad, Emilio and another friend formed a little gang and they called themselves the Troubadors!  I don’t remember how my dad and Arthur ended up dating sisters but they did and they both married these sisters I think within a year of each other and both became fathers for the first time about 3 months apart.  Even though my uncle Arthur married my aunt Rosie before my dad married my mom, I was born in January and my cousin Mary at the end of April.  I didn’t figure out until I was in my forties that I was a love child!  Then a year and nine months later, Patty came along, and then 7 years later, there was Carrie.  While I always told my dad that Patty was his favorite, it was obvious that Carrie was the apple of his eye.  He took her everywhere and they ended up with the closest relationship all throughout his life.  I only recently told Gloria this story, on my dad’s wedding day, while me and my sisters were with my dad at his house getting dressed for the wedding, right when we were getting ready to leave his house for the church, Carrie runs up to my dad and wraps her arms around him and starts begging him not to get married and she won’t let go.  My dad had to peel her off of him and he says, “Carrie, it’s kinda late now.”  I remember Patty and I could not stop laughing.  I think he finally calmed her down by reminding her of the talk they had the day before.  He asked her if she was going to live with him for the rest of his life and take care of him? He told her he needed someone to be with him forever.
My dad married Gloria on August 18, 1984, the same day Purple Rain the movie was released.  Right after the wedding, me, Patty, and my cousin Randy went to see that movie.  It was a beautiful wedding and my dad was truly happy.  He loved Gloria with all his heart.  He was always so proud to call her

My dad was known to just about everyone as “Frankie.”  He was born into a poor family but while financially poor, they were definitely rich in love and family values.  My dad used to tell us stories of having to get up super early and go work in the fields with the rest of his family before going to school.  There were days he would go to school smelling like onions.  Even though that must have been embarrassing, he still went to school.  Of course there were other kids that went to school after working in the fields, like his life long friend and eventual brother in law, my uncle Arthur.  Arthur married my mom’s older sister Rosie and their 3 children Mary, Nancy, and Chrisitan adored my dad.  When my parents divorced, my cousin Mary told me that it didn’t matter if they got divorced, my dad would always be her uncle Frankie.
My dad did well in school and was an accomplished athlete.  He ran track and excelled at high jump and pole vault.  Years ago when he would talk to me about going to college, he would show me his medals from high school track meets.  My dad wanted to go to college and thought maybe being a good athlete would get him there.  But while some of his friends were being recruited by colleges for their sports programs, no one ever recruited my dad.  He was aware of cultural issues because he made a point to tell me that my sister Patty and I were smart and beautiful but we also needed to have determination, never give up.  Because we were brown, we would have to be smarter and work harder to be better than everyone else in order for them to see us as equal.  I think I was only about 7 but that stuck with me.
Since my dad couldn’t afford to go to college, he decided to enlist in the armed forces… and to his surprise, so did his best friend, Arthur.  However, Arthur enlisted in the Marines and my dad, the Army.  My dad used to laugh and say, they should have talked about it first.  He also told me that both he and Arthur had never seen bedsheets before

Dear Carrie and Family,

Bernie and I were sorry to hear about your Dad.  We know it is a really rough time for your Mom and your Sisters and the rest of your family.    We just wanted to let you know we are thinking about you.  In awhile, the good and funny memories will out weigh the sad times.  Really it will.

With Sympathy,

Bernie & Peg

So,  sorry for your loss. Frankie was a wonderful beautiful Human Being. He & I, Joe Martinez, became close friends from the beginning of our freshman in Shafter High School through out the following years. We were on the Shafter Track Team ran on the 4x4  relay. My first impression of Frankie as watching him as a pole vaulter. His determination, drive, persistence, practicing   his skills paid off. A few years on we meet & had a good long conversation of our very 1st employment as our careers,. What a joyful great experience this had become me for the Journey of Life Living. Was a Blessing to know Frankie Lopez, as  my friend.  Regards & Amigo, Joe Martinez

OBITUARY

Frank Allen Lopez

2 February, 1944 – 17 September, 2023

Funeraria Del Angel Hillcrest

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