Frank Lazenby

“Frank” was born Franklin Coy Lazenby in Big Spring, Texas on October 10, 1937 to Johnnie Franklin Lazenby and Dessie Lavania Hartin. Don’t make the mistake of calling him Franklin or Mr. Lazenby...he went by “Frank” to everyone he met!

Frank adored being a big brother to all of his sisters. Ramona Ruth Lazenby and Paula Marlene Schrecengost passed before him and he is survived by his sister, Deborah Dianne Reese. His grandparents were Raby and Essie Lazenby, but he was particularly fond of and loved telling stories about his beloved grandpa.

Frank grew up in Wichita Falls and later went on to proudly serve in the 101st Airborne Division of the United States Army from October 25, 1955 to September 5, 1958. His travels in the army took him all over but he eventually left the service and landed in the very tip of West Texas.

He met the love of his life, Concepcion “Connie” Leon in El Paso, Texas. Although Connie’s hair wasn’t long enough at the time for his liking, he made an exception and they began dating. Five years later, on April 23, 1977, they were married. Frank and Connie spent 48 years in total together, 43 of them as husband and wife. They were polar opposites, but it worked beautifully! He opened Connie’s eyes up to a world she had never known. He encouraged her to do “fun” things like jump on a moving train while she was pregnant, ride a horse and even become entrepreneurs. They bickered their entire marriage in the sweetest, most entertaining way, but their love of each other and of their family knew no bounds. Connie adored and took great care of him throughout his life (even if that meant hiding the sweets).

Frank and Connie had three beautiful daughters, Ana Teresa Lazenby, and (surprise!) twins, Cassandra Benita Lazenby and Katrina Raquel Lazenby. Frank loved being a father — it was one of the greatest joys in his life. He was strong, hard-working, patient and intelligent. He had a way of making even the most mundane task fun. His children have fond memories of camping, taking the most comfortable road trips and floating the river under his protective watch. He was incredibly humble. He preferred hand-written cards and homemade gifts for Father’s Day. He loved his kids unconditionally and was the best daddy anyone could ask for.

Frank never had sons, but his son-in-laws, Guadalupe Padron II, Chad Michael Forcier and Michael Gomez easily filled that void. Johnnie Ray Mataska, his nephew, was another particularly special son in his life, as well as the many children he “adopted” along the way.

Frank was a wonderful dad but he absolutely adored being a grandfather. His first grandson, Zachary Nathaniel De Hoyos (22), inherited his stunning blue eyes, sly Cheshire cat grin and handsome good looks. He called him “Papa” and quickly became his best little friend. He taught him how to fish, how to camp under the stars, how to ride a horse and how to enjoy a good cup of coffee. Zachary and Frank have a special bond that will never be broken. He loved teasing his granddaughter, Ellie Raye Forcier (17), nicknaming her “schoolgirl” and convincing her to go with him on late-night chocolate donut runs (the cake kind) to Gibsons, to which she gladly obliged. He was also lucky enough to have spent quality time loving on his two youngest grandchildren, Joaquin Bronx Padron (4) and Lilliana Tina Padron (2). He loved making funny faces at them, watching them play in the backyard and sneaking them sweet treats when nobody was looking.

Frank and Connie were entrepreneurs, founding “Med Plus Services” in 1988, a company that has now been passed on to their eldest daughter and son-in-law, Ana and Lupe Padron. He was very proud of that accomplishment and how they both continued to carry on the family legacy.

Frank was a simple man. He was an avid reader of science fiction books, nature and animals. He was not a religious man, but he loved God and was extremely spiritual. Frank never met a stranger as people were drawn to his quick-witted country sayings, his dry sense of humor and his (usually fake) grumpy disposition. He was a particularly gifted storyteller, a skill he continued to refine over the years. A West Texas country cowboy that was one hundred percent Mexican on the inside — “Pancho” is what they called him...and he loved it! Every day he proudly wore a leather belt with his nickname on it that his son-in-law Lupe gave to him. He also never met a hot pepper that was quite hot enough (many tried!) and put mustard on everything. Frank loved wearing the shirt of his favorite NBA team (the one Chad was coaching at the particular moment) and would proudly boast to anyone who would listen. In fact, he would speak of his family often, telling even strangers the proud details of their accomplishments.

You would often find him sitting with Connie on his favorite front yard swing, working on endless home improvement projects, planting and watering his garden, and feeding his birds and hummingbirds. Frank’s greatest joy was taking a car ride through the Hill Country to find any sort of river. He would roll the windows down, with his arm and hand sticking out the window to catch the warm Texas breeze. He always stopped to enjoy a thick “chocolatey-chocolate” milkshake that was never quite chocolate enough. A connoisseur of food (his favorite was Jim’s), he would enjoy every single bite, even if that meant that everyone stayed for a three hour dinner. Frank never cussed and hated waste. He was strong-headed and confident; he did what he wanted, no matter the status quo or the expectations society had on him. He never wavered in his beliefs and wasn’t afraid to be authentic, no matter what people thought, how silly he looked or sounded. A favorite memory is him cutting the lawn with a cut-out waistband of an old pair of his Hanes underwear. He was ahead of his time, creating his own trends like up-cycling, recycling and vintage well before it was cool. His greatest characteristics were the tremendous empathy and compassion he had for people, and ability to trust all with just a wink and a good ole’ fashioned handshake.

Frank was a husband, a father, a papa, a grandfather, a best friend, an uncle and a mentor to so many. He passed peacefully with family by his side on Saturday, August 1, 2020 at the ripe old age of 82. He was one of a kind, larger than life and will be missed profusely. His family knows he has gladly settled into a rocking chair in the unlimited acreage of Hill Country Heaven with his cowboy boots, a fishing pole, a fresh cup of black “Texas Pecan” coffee and a ten gallon hat. We will forever cherish all the fond memories until we are reunited with him in Heaven.

A private interment ceremony for Frank will be held with full Military Honors on Tuesday, August 18, 2020 at 9:00 AM at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery, 1520 Harry Wurzbach Road, San Antonio, TX 78234. A private reception will immediately follow at the San Antonio Zoo.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.SunsetNWFuneralHome.com for the Lazenby family. In lieu of flowers, the family requests a donation be made in Frank Lazenby’s memory at SAzoo.org.