Frank Bordovsky

Frank (“Frankie”) Laddie Bordovsky was born in Coy City, Texas on Sept 25, 1934 and passed peacefully at his home in Goodyear, Arizona on Oct 19, 2023. The eldest of nine children born to Laddie and Lenora (Scholz) Bordovsky, he grew up on a farm where he learned “hard work is rewarding only when it is done right the first time”.

Frank graduated from Karnes City High School in 1953 and immediately enlisted in the US Army. While stationed at Fort Monmouth, NJ he fell in love and married Michele Kathleen Shick in March 1962. Together they raised five children while continuing to serve in the Army: each child born in a different state and one in Stuttgart, Germany. Frank was proud to be a decorated veteran with 22 years of experience, including tours in both the Vietnam and Korean Wars. He received many awards including five Commendation Medals, one Meritorious Service Medal, and the Bronze Star Medal for Valor. His vocation in the Army was radio and television communications. One of his most enjoyable tasks in the Army was training a German-shepherd police dog, “Lady”, and winning an obedience training competition in Germany. Frank retired in 1976 as a non-commissioned officer with the rank of Sgt. 1st Class.

After retiring from the Army, Frank worked in electronics, uranium processing mills, owned his own television repair business, and charmed many residents as a property manager and maintenance man. He loved tinkering and fixing things in general and made sure even his girls knew how to do basic maintenance on vehicles. He was handy and always generous with his time. A diligent and hard worker, he instilled a strong work ethic in all his children and was proud to brag about any of their accomplishments.

An integral and important part of Frank’s life was his devotion to God and his faith. Frank and Michele were very involved in their church and together led many prayer groups, outreach programs, and fellowship groups over the years. Frank was an ordained minister and led many to Christianity. He loved the Lord and reading his scriptures. As he aged, he immersed himself in the Bible and professed he was “studying for his final test”.

Frank enjoyed woodworking and made several trivets and numerous domino “train hubs” for friends and family. An avid domino player, he would quickly grab the domino box and belly-up to the table at the 1st mention of a game. He also enjoyed playing poker with friends and although “Big Frank” wasn’t always the biggest winner, his love for the game and camaraderie never faded. He loved playing games in general and was quite the pool shark; proudly bringing his own pool stick to any pool game. He enjoyed watching football games and was a die-hard Dallas Cowboys fan.

Always a family-man, he shared his love for country dancing with his girls – teaching each of them to two-step and waltz, while standing on the tops of his feet. He shared his love for fishing with his son and enjoyed deep-sea fishing with him in Key West. He loved old-school country and regularly listened to “Willie Nelson’s Roadhouse” station while riding to and from appointments with his daughter in Phoenix. He knew how to handle a brisket and ribs and was known for his fantastic bar-b-q that took all day to complete to perfection. Frank and Michele loved to cook together and share their culinary talents with friends and family.

Frank loved the Lord, was steadfast in his faith, and knew where he was going. In the weeks preceding his unexpected departure, he’d dreamed of several loved ones who had passed before him. We are so sad to see him go, but thankful he is free of pain and rejoicing in Heaven where he was no doubt welcomed with open arms. We are sure he is entertaining the angels with his humorous and deadpan storytelling, silly dad jokes, and colorful, witty socks. He will truly be missed and his memory will live on in the hearts of all those who loved him.

Frank is survived by his loving wife of 62 years, Michele, and their children, Thomas Clyde (“Tom”) Bordovsky (Donna) of Sugar Valley, GA, Diana Loraine Galster (Guy) of Byron, IL, Beverly Kay Dube (Byron) of Petaluma, CA, Cynthia Lenor (“Cindy”) Mosier (Bryan) of Phoenix, AZ, and Rebecca Jean (“Becky”) Hawkins (Jim) of Broken Arrow, OK, 11 grandchildren and 7 great-grandchildren. Frank was preceded in death by his parents, his brothers Ernest D. Bordovsky and William J. Bordovsky, and sister, Patricia Bednorz. He is also survived by his sisters, Helen McBride, Carolyn Pooser, and Mary Ann Oldham and his brothers, Laddie L. Bordovsky and Albert Bordovsky.

Funeral services, with full military honors including a 21-gun salute, will be held at 10:30am MST on Friday, December 8th at the National Memorial Cemetery of Arizona (23029 N. Cave Creek Road, Phoenix, AZ). A celebration of life will be held at his residence following his internment. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests making donations to either St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital or Wounded Warrior Project.