Frank Richardson, known by many as Uncle Frank, but also known most recently and very fondly as PopPop by his four adorable granddaughters, was 72 at the time of his death on Thanksgiving Day 2015, after a year-long battle with lung cancer.
Always a fan of new toys and technology, Frank became quite competent with computers long before their wide adoption beginning with a "State of the Art" Commodore 64. He kept in touch with lifelong friends and made new friends (via internet photo and investment forums) across the country and around the world. So, we're holding his memorial virtually and will not be planning an in-person service in San Jose at this time.
PopPop was larger than life, loved immensely, and had a wicked sense of humor. We'll miss him like crazy. We ask you to help us remember Frank by sharing memories, stories, photos, condolences, etc. Make us cry. But please, make us laugh; irreverence is to be expected!
Frank is survived by his wife Nancy, daughter Brooke and her husband Andrew Conway along with their daughters Shelby and Paige (Seattle). His son Colby and wife Kristy along with their daughters Rylee and Regan (Newport Beach). Frank is also survived by his mother Violet, his older brother Ron and his wife Robin, nephew Jeffrey and his younger brother Michael.
He will be dearly missed by his family and many friends.
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Tributes
Leave a tributeA lot has happened in the past two years.
It has been too long since I gave you an update on the family goings-on’s. My plan had been to post an update every year, but I was very remiss with 2022 updates, so expect a lot of news now as it is the end of 2023.
COVID inoculations (scheduled by need and age groups) reached the younger generations (under 12 years by mid-2022). That along with the natural herd-immunity granted to the survivors of the previous waves of COVID finally encouraged folks to brave extended air travel and begin attending potential super-spreader-events around mid to late 2022.
Colby (who was the most diligent about COVID exposure safety) went for his first salon hair cut spring of 2022 – he got a nice cut and went down with a 5-day case of COVID; Kristy and the girls moved over to the Long’s beach house. Kristy returned home from the beach house about 4 days later with a slightly weaker case of COVID; the girls did not catch it. Score: 2 out of 4 for the Richardson family.
Brooke went to what she knew was a "potential" super-spreader-event in Seattle. - fall of 2022. Since it included a few different Boy-Bands from HER 90’s generation a group of her friends managed to get a Luxury Box and headed out with masks on. She came home with great memories as well as a nasty 5-day case COVID!
Shelby got COVID around the same time, but from a schoolmate who came home from school with Shelby to work on a project (in Shel’s bedroom with a door closed and no masks on). We did not know until later that night that her classmate had just returned – BY PLANE – from a long weekend trip. Oops!
3 years holding off on longer flights comes to an end for Richardson/Conway families:
The Conway’s made their first international flight to visit family and friends in the UK and Italy, etc. in the summer of 2022. On their return flight to SEA – Andrew got COVID. Score: 3 out of 4 for the Conway family.
Nancy, I had been visiting Boston 2 times a year (typically September and March) until March 12, 2020 when life – as we knew all it – came to an end. In mid-September 2022 I traveled back to Boston and got to visit many family members and old friends – including your Aunt Bernice. I must say those Glantz genes are really strong – she was looking lovely and mentally terrific – especially at 99+ years.
I’ll be back with more 2023 updates as well as videos and photos of PopPops 4 Girls from 22 & 23. We are all carefully getting back into the ACTIVITY period of our lives!
Frank, you were one of a kind and a great friend and I miss being able to see your smiling face and great laugh. I’d love to have shared with you my musical duo that I’m in. You did love to play guitar and would get a kick out of my “retirement gig” I truly Miss you brother and wish you peace!❤️
I thought I would start with THAT good news - though I am not sure how "official" it is since you are not here to celebrate with me. I did text the kids the 40th anniversary photo of the 2 of us at Carmel's Porta Bello restaurant - to remind them that they financed that lovely celebration. Incase you forgot, it was the following April that we hosted our extended family at that rental house in Orlando, FL to help celebrate our 40 years together.
We are in year 2 of what will probably be known as "the great pandemic".. Our whole family is now innoculated, but many globally for political, covert, or just plan Darwinian reasons have opted out. I guess they are counting on they rest of us to provide the needed "herd amunity" to their families, go figure??
The shots started (I think) in mid Feb 2021 - with priority to various groups by age, health challenges, first responder jobs, and finally reached the 5 to under 12 year olds mid November '21. Paige and Regan are finally feeling more safe since they have been back and sports and also back in they C-19 version of "in-person" school - which shamefully varies greatly by state and county . Aside from sports, small pajama parties have just begun - connecting other like minded families. Families concidered "in our pod"..or some such similar term. Sorry, you would have to be here to actually understand this C-19 world. I think it splits families rather like the Civil War did.
I missed giving you an update on Thanksgiving '21 as I spent the day at Kristy's parents beach house with about 52 of her relatives. It was a beautiful day and there seemed to be enough outdoor space for those who needed that to stay comfortable with such a crowd. Our group feasted in the pool side Casita with Rylee using her iPhone to find "riddles" for us to try and solve. Lots of laughs trying to get our adult brains to compete with all the grandkids there.
Using the new terminology - I introduced you to in 2020 - Thanksgiving could have proven to be a "super spreader event", but we all seemed to have lucked out and remain healthy.. Yeah!
I drove down to NPB about mid month as Rylee was in the play Matilda - her dancing skills landed her the role of Rudolfo - a sort of giggilo dance instructor.. She was great, funny, graceful, and as swarmy as the role required. We should manage to add a short video along with a lot of photos of all "your girls" with this years summary. They have grown up so much in the last 6 years.. Regan/9, Paige/10, Rylee/12 & Shelby/13.. You would spoil them to pieces..
Time to learn all about life during Covid, the Vid, C-19 or how ever your "pod" refers to the global pandemic!
I will try to organize the photos to tell the story, but basically life as we/you/EVERYONE knew it ended on March 12 2020. All "non essencial" businesses closed - lucky workers worked from home, schools had to learn to teach remotely - most over a new s/w called ?Zoom. It took some schools and districts months to get moving on "remote learning", education fell behind, sports and promos were cancelled, graduations and other celebrations became SIGNS on the lawn with cars driving by to drop off gifts, etc.
Lots of money was spent by those who owned homes.
Pandemic pets became a top priority in 2020 and the pet shelters emptied out:
* Brooke's family got a hampster and named her Chocolate Chip Conway.. Chippy or C3 (cubed) for knick names.
* Later they got a chocolate colored Newfy Doodle named Lucca (after Paige's favorite city - from their 2019 grand tour of Italy). However, Lucca is now the color of Colby's family min golden doodle, Harley.
* Gym equipment went in all our house - I got a rowing maching (must keep the new knee working). Colby and Kristy moved garage storage into their side yard to fit a treadmill and full set of weights, dance flooring, etc. for their needs. Brooke and Andrew settled on a rowing machine, weights, mats, mini tramps, bikes etc.
* Next came working spaces - desks moved as often as needed at the Conway's depending on noise levels and the technogy h/w and s/w need to get on line, etc.
* Thus the $6,800 door built beween B&A's lower level and main level of the large new (summer 2019) 3 level Mercer Island house..but that is another story..lol
* Spring and summer brought outdoor movie theaters to both families, more patio furniture, holiday camping tents, etc. Their spas had to wait longer for delivery due to nationwide back orders.
* VICTORY GARDENS, sounds like a WW2 term, but they are back and doing well all across the country. It is amazing how "retro" we have all become during this lock down.
* I too got into the spending mode; in June 2020 and added new HVAC system to get that much needed AC. BTW, our cool summer evenings are NOW a thing of the past due to "global warming".
* Families began cooking and baking for most meals, Door Dash and Uber Eats are still booming along with other InstaCart (personal shoppers and delivery companies) and SMART store swho quickly "punted" to hire shoppers to fill orders and deliver them directly to customers' cars.
* Most folks have claimed to have gained C-19 lbs! (kind of like the college freshman-15).
* Women's and girls' hair got so long we all looked like 60's hippies or "sisterwives"... by fall of 2020. And the guys...
* Well take a look a Colby and Andrew's hair to see how the male fared. Brooke did not win any prizes with her hair cutting skills, but Colby did not only his own hair but also trimmed the ladies in his life. Good job Cole!*
Summer of 2021 still had most (smart) folks in lock-down and mask mode.
* Luckily sports were reintroduced for kids as long as they wore masks, "infected numbers had started to fa, both Cole's and Brooke's families drove to San Jose for July 4th. However, too many folks began to celebrate in large groups - without masks and the numbers once again climbed.
Home owner spending continued:
* A lovely pavillion, firepit and outdoor kitchen was added in Newport Beach.
* My big expense was synthetic turf in the back yard along with a drip system to support border plants as well as 2 "raised beds" to try growing herbs and veggies.
* Brooke's family added additional gravel walking paths to help keep Lucca from digging up the back yard. It turns out the "synthetic turf" installers gave them a quote that was about 8+ months out. They are already getting hit with heavy rains up on Mercer Island (fall 2021).
Six years. Being a gregarious person, I don’t think you would do well in our environment of the past two years. You now have eternal freedom. Rest well.
The past 5 years have really gone by quickly; no one can believe you and Paul have been gone that long.
FYI, you have not missed anything not being here for 2020; a whole new language has been coined as well a social rules that must be followed if we are to outlive the reign of the C-19 global pandemic. We are just coming to the end of month 9 of "social distancing with medical grade masks on". I now own 2+ dozen pair of white cotton gloves as my hands cannot abide by the Purel chemistry. And don't get me going about the much needed giant (YMCA grade) Rowing Machine sitting in the middle of the family room floor - what a tripping hazard, but much needed to keep my new knee in working order!
You would hate the lack of hugs and visits with the kids and grand-kids as well as all the time typically spent with our YMCA dance and your workout friends. Even I needed a "social" - or should I say "mental health" - break after 4+ months of isolation. Driving alone 940+ miles to Seattle (now Mercer Island) was just not going to work for me, so I dressed in full hazmat gear and flew up north (on a 1-way ticket) to see the Conway clan. It was a terrific visit that allowed for (after the first decontamination week) actually needed HUGS, along with walks on beaches and in the woods, bike rides and berry picking with the girls, outdoor movies projected over their garage door, helping Brooke and Paige plant a veggie/herb garden with a drip system, etc. It was a wonderful visit that held a confusing mixture of our more simple childhood lives in the 1950's mixed with the technology advantages of 2020. I ended up staying for 4 weeks - a new record, but I was probably part of their mental health entertainment too!
Regarding Thanksgiving 11/26/2020 I do not think you would have manged to STAY SAFELY home - while only getting to see/share photos of 3 separate households celebrating Thanksgiving dinners alone. Everyone will be driving in for a long Christmas visit, so I (we) will be adding new photos over the next month or so. This is the longest no-in-person contact period that the cousins have been through; Brooke took her girls down to Newport Beach during Mercer Island's February winter ski break, but the expected summer visit up north to the roomy-house on MI could not happen..
I hope that we (globally) are back to safe travels some time in 2021; I need to see family members in MA. I am fine with wearing masks for travel and large gatherings for the rest of my life.. I just would like to feel like I have a-retirement-life to enjoy - even though it can never be the one we had planned together! Love, Nancy, the whole extended family and many friends
Yesterday, I wrote to wish you a happy birthday. This morning when I looked at your memorial site I was upset to see that the message neither SAVED nor PUBLISHED - my bad for not first saving the letter as a DRAFT in my yahoo.com account. I know better! For some unknown reason the annual Holiday PJ's photo did upload, save and published. You will be happy to see your 4 girls are now accompanied by a very naughty mini golden-doodle, Harley!
Let's call the below TAKE 2 - 2019 Birthday Wishes:
It was our turn to host Thanksgiving this year, so although it was officially the 4th anniversary of your death - I did not get a chance to publish to your memorial site, but photos/videos were taken. I was also hampered a bit as I have been recovering from the first of those 2 knee replacements that I managed to postpone for 20+ years. I will say, I have been very happy that we could NOT afford that bigger/two story house back in 1981 when we moved into Almaden Valley!
You would probably have turned 77 yesterday - if not for your (early ability to) work on the New Jersey Boardwalk at age 12. That summer gave a too young kid the cash to buy and get addicted to cigarettes. I believe it was the height of the tobacco industry's tampering to raise the addictive qualities of their cigarettes that lead to your early death. I wonder if their branding back then actually touted "once a customer always a customer" or perhaps they only guaranteed "50+ years of addiction"? Since, your mom made it to 99.7 and your aunt Bernice is still looking great and was still driving when I visited with her this past summer (at I think 95 or so) - you would have had some strong aging genes to draw from.
I am spend the Christmas Holidays with Brooke's family, but I will soon be adding more Life details or Stories, Photos, Videos to this site to share our family highlights of 2019.
We all love and miss you...
The first sign of trouble was just before Christmas 2014 when Frank suddenly lost his voice; we thought it was laryngitis. By mid Jan the lung cancer diagnose was confirmed. The Richardson boys (3 sons) decided not to tell their mom Violet (who lived in FL) and since Frank could no longer talk on the phone with Violet - the conspiracy was able to survive from his death Nov 2015 until her death in the spring of 2017. EVERYONE new that PopPop's death had been kept a secret from Violet (who was 97 the winter Frank died).
Eventually, Brooke had to tell her girls that Great Grandma Violet had died. Brooke had been questioned by Paige (turning 6) who knew that she shared her July birthday with her great grandmothers. (actually Paige's birth was one day prior to GG Violet's).
Once Brooke confirmed that they would NOT be calling Great Grandma to wish her a happy birthday because she had recently died - Paige thought for a bit and said something like. "I bet she was really surprised when she got to heaven and found PopPop already there!"... So, no sadness just a happy reunion for both of them.
Whew, disaster avoided ...by a 6 year old.
Hope you are doing okay, my thoughts and prayers are with you. Emily
Frank also helped me buy my first DSLR camera, and I met him and some of his buddies at the San Francisco zoo where we took photos all afternoon, Some are still in my favorites.
Meanwhile, I have joined Mike Buckley in the baseball texting he and Frank used to do, in Frank's memory, and the Giants have still not won the World Series! Someday...
Nancy, I wish you joy, love, good health, and lots of time with your babies. Kay~
I used to work with Uncle Frank in Silicon Valley & he was the best mentor I've ever had. After he'd retired from the company, I've met him several times & I was given some good advise on my photo taking.
I found this old old photo - Frank was Bart Simpson on Halloween right next to me. I miss you Frank!
Love,
Colby, Kristy, Rylee and Regan
Here's to the memory of Frank!
I stayed in touch after those 5 years and we would check in occasionally over the years. I was lucky enough to catch up a few times with him as Colby and his family live in Newport Beach near me and even had lunch with him, caught up with Nancy and Colby too last time.
He was a great man, husband, father and grandfather who was proud of all of them. He must have shown me a thousand beautiful pictures at lunch...and I'll treasure that last meeting as I had no idea it was our last...my heart goes out to Nancy and the family.
Uncle Frank rest in peace my friend...you will be missed! ❤️
My name is Klaus Friedrich, I live in Germany and know Frank by the Nikon Cafe.
Participating in the 52-weeks runs in the past few years I realized Frank was a fantastic photographer and a much better mentor. he got the talent to show me my mistakes in a decent way and helped me with problems I had taking pictures.
He will be missed...
Klaus
My first digital camera was a Nikon CoolPix 5700, a point-and-shoot camera I bought only because Frank insisted that I buy it. Almost all of his photos posted at Nikon Cafe in his early time there were taken using that model. Typical of Frank, he even promised me that it was so practical that it would fit in my shirt pocket. We joked with each other about that for years, as it was far too large for that. Even so, I got great use out of the camera and my wife also got into taking pictures thanks to that handy camera.
She and I upgraded to more advanced cameras years ago, so that first camera recommended by Frank has been relegated to remaining unused. That was until very recently. I offered it for free on a photography forum I participate in (not Nikon Cafe) to the first person who would promise to use it or give it rather than sell it to someone who would use it. That camera has now gone from my storage room in Virginia to the good hands of an avid, very capable photographer living in Los Angeles who enjoys using it along with his other more sophisticated cameras.
Better yet, now that the new owner has been using the camera a couple of weeks, I told him about its connection with Frank. He was very glad to learn the story and joked that he will no longer try to fit the camera in his shirt pocket.
In 1969 Frank did me the biggest favor of my life by getting me to interview with Texas Instruments. I had be working in a government research job and was literally going out of my mind with boredom. I was hired and got the typical new guy accounts, the kind that no one would care if you screwed it up. One day we were making a joint sales call on an account Frank was turning over to me and he could not remember how to get there. We had to stop so he could call for directions. It was obvious to me he had never called on the account. But Frank was a great friend who helped me prepare view graphs for our quarterly sales meetings. He had a way of great way with words that helped get me get through some rough sales presentations.
Rest in Peace old buddy, I really miss you.
Richard Brayden
I used to go visit Frank and Nancy at their place in Plano, when I was home from school, and hang out, and play guitars together. He would say to me, "Come talk to me when you get out of school", but I never thought going to work at the same company as my Dad would be a good thing to do. He convinced me otherwise, though, and I stayed there for 21 of the best years of my life.
Thank you, Frank, for all you did for me all those years ago. I regret that we lost touch over the years, but reading all of these touching tributes brings back a lot of memories of how great you made a young kid in school feel in knowing you. Wonderful to see the photos of you and your beautiful family. Rest in peace, my friend.
Paul and I enjoyed our many years of friendship shared with you. We will miss watching the niners and Giants games and sushi lunches.
Most of all, we will miss YOU.
Sayonara, Frankie-san
After a few months of back and forth online, we both realized we were living just a few miles apart so we decided to meet in person over lunch and/or coffee, and we’ve been doing that regularly ever since. Of course, there were a lot of (sometimes heated) discussions about the gear, the software, the other folks we were talking to online, and plenty of anticipation for the next camera or accessory coming out, but we also learned about each other and our very different backgrounds and shared many good laughs, he making fun of my french accent and throwing many “mon ami” around, me looking up at this guy who could nearly have been my father as someone I would love to emulate, when I grew up and eventually would retire.
Digital photography kicked into high gear in 2004 when cameras became more capable and faster, with interchangeable lenses, looking more like traditional SLR cameras and were dubbed DSLR. Frank and I jumped on the bandwagon immediately and became obsessed even more with all the new gear and possibilities. This of course was not cheap and Frank’s CFO (Nancy) made sure that he would not go overboard and that he would sell some services to offset the new gear, and just like that, Frank became a wedding photographer! And he was good at it too, always showing the emotion of the event. We were taking photography trips, to places that would provide some photo opportunities and came to appreciate each other’s “work” even more.
A few months after he had acquired a state of the art camera, and i got my hands onto a used professional camera, Frank asked me to be his second shooter to one of his very first professional wedding photographer gigs. We prepared for a while, and as it was to take place on a weekend, we figured out I could bring my wife as an assistant and she was happy to oblige. On the way over there, Frank’s phone rang: it was Nancy. Frank probably mentioned her name or put her on the speakerphone (we can’t remember which), but Julene recognized that this was not just a Nancy Richardson, but the Nancy Richardson that she knew from Tandem, were both worked in Marketing in the 90s. Julene had known for a few years that my friend Frank’s last name was Richardson, but that didn’t really resonate. She then also realized that she had already met Frank some years ago at a Tandem event in England! Small world, eh? We had a really good laugh about it and went out on double-dates afterwords.
We did quite a few weddings together and had a great collaboration: the clients were really happy, and we had fun before (meeting with the couples, scouting locations, etc) , during and after the event (comparing notes and editing the pictures). I wouldn’t take on the job as a primary photographer: it was too much pressure! But Frank showed me it was possible and fun. Thank you for that too.
As we were getting older and our health became more of a concern, we both did a seminar with Kristy about better ways to eat, and so we did. I started walking a lot more, with the dog and while playing golf and started losing weight, prompting Frank to work at it too. For a few years, we compared our progress, our figures, our prescriptions (and their side effects!), all the while telling ourselves how lucky we both were to have married up. We had some good times and enjoyed every bit of it, still taking the occasional photo trip, for example to the Egyptian museum or to see the SJ Giants play from up close, and making time for lunch and coffee, shooting the breeze, telling stories about his beloved granddaughters and his many trips up and down the West Coast… until Frank became ill. Then it was text messages and then it stopped. I was still thinking about Frank and his battle but regret to not have just barged in to tell him I loved him, and now it’s too late. My heartfelt sympathy to Frank’s family and friends.
And to you, Frank, you were a good man and a good friend. Au revoir, mon ami.
His “Lukey” and the rest of the extended Desalvo family
There was the day a few years ago when he explained to me that he had come to the conclusion that he was a fair-weather fan when it came to enjoying the Giants and the 49ers. He was truly serious about his newfound self-awareness at nearly 70 years old, so I helped him out by letting him know that all of his friends and family had already known that about him for decades. He broke into instant laughter!
After he persistently dragged and kicked me from the world of film photography to the world of digital photography, I told him that I had decided upon a Nikon camera. That was because he was an expert at the Nikon system and I knew he could help me out a lot if I bought a Nikon camera. He insisted that I consider the Canon cameras, sarcastically explaining that I was the last person he wanted to help. (I never evaluated Canon cameras and he patiently got me out of seemingly countless jams with my Nikon system.)
Though I always enjoy Frank's photos regardless of the genre, I have a special fondness for his images of hummingbirds. While I was viewing a large photo of a hummingbird on display at the National Geographic headquarters in Washington, D.C., I called to tell him that it wasn't nearly as good as many of his own photos. Years later I suggested that his hummers, as he fondly called them, were so good that he should provide a book of them to share with his family and friends such as me. He immediately countered by reminding me that I could buy his photos at his SmugMug website. Always the endearing capitalist!
The top of this web page asks that we "raise a glass to celebrate the life of Uncle Frank." I sure hope everyone does that but I also hope nobody uses expensive wine. Frank was too cheap to buy expensive wine and was darned proud of it!
When the disease made it difficult for Frank to talk, he let me know about that by explaining in an email that he had become a much better listener. As funny as that was, I had always thought of him as a good listener and still do.
In the nearly 20 years that Frank and I regularly stayed in touch from opposite sides of the country, there was one topic that was always devoid of irreverence. That was when he was speaking of his family. As I wrote to Nancy, it didn't matter whether a conversation began with discussing investing, photography or baseball. If it went long enough the conversation would inevitably turn to him proudly telling me something new about his family. I knew his face was beaming whether we were talking on the phone, emailing or texting.
Frank regularly and accurately accused me of being a Luddite because of my reluctance to adopt new and not so new technologies such as texting. Ironically, my relationship with Frank is half the reason I finally bought a cell phone about six months ago that had a keyboard that made it easy for me to regularly text; talking had become difficult for him and he usually preferred texting to emailing. It was a happy day for me any time we exchanged text messages, which was often. Indeed, my final memories of Frank are his text messages -- and so many of them contained the humor that only Frank could express with such enjoyable irreverence.
It was truly an honor to know Frank and my sincerest condolences go out to his entire family. Rest in peace, my friend...
I fondly remember the many golf games with Frank and Dickie B. Frank, being competitive by nature, took these outings very seriously. Dick, who was an expert in the PGA rules of golf and a student of the "inner game" of golf, would delight in calling rules infractions on Frank every time he hit a good shot. It was pure theater to watch.
Precious memories of dinners, outings and vacations with Frank and Nancy. Who can ever forget New Years Eve 1999 at Pebble Beach, where we toasted the brilliance of our stock market acumen, only to return home a few days later and find that the market was crashing and our portfolio value evaporating.
Stories and memories of Frank are so numerous I don't know where to begin, or end. Frank was a lifelong friend and and someone that you could always count on. He was there for us, when Marty and I were going thru a personal tragedy. You will always have a special place in our heart.
The world was better with Frank in it. RIP Frank, you were truly one of a kind!
You will be missed here on earth Frank, but your presence, touch, and effect you left on the world will move forever forward with your family and friends.
Thank you Frank, and say hey to my dad!
Through the years I followed him as he progressed from Foam core backgrounds and flowers to backyard photos of hummingbirds to what I think was his greatest love: capturing people in everyday life, everyday settings.
It was clear "Uncle Frank" loved photography: experimenting with it, doing it and talking about it, sharing his knowledge and encouraging others. He considered carefully when it was time for new equipment and when he liked a lens or piece of gear, didn't hesitate to share his enthusiasm and his thoughts. I suspect he rarely left the house without a camera in hand, and on the Cafe he enjoyed sharing photos of people he met in various places -- sometimes casual photos, sometimes more formal portraits; he seemed to have an affinity for people and connecting with them.
Of course he also shared photos of family, too, with us, especially as each of his four darling granddaughters came along. We celebrated with him and smiled at his very evident joy.
"Uncle Frank" had a very vivid presence on Nikon Cafe, and he will be greatly missed. I extend my deepest sympathy to his loving family at this very sad time.
Death is never easy even if it expected, it is still our enemy.
God will defeat and swallow up death , Forever!
one of the good sides of Internet is the possibility to meet virtually anywhere on Earth and when the web 2.0 became a reality and a place where not only companies but common people started attending daily forums, being a keen photographer, I joined the Nikoncafe.. I guess it's about 10 yrs ago now.
I was definitely a newbie not only about photography (let alone digital photography) and one of the very first persons I met there was Frank, "Uncle Frank", a name so familiar that I have never asked him which was his real name. He already was an experienced photographer and even more he was one of those special individuals able to attract one's attention with his good, fatherly(*) and slightly witty manners, always open to chat, advice and always leaving you with a smile when everything was over. A small group of the former members was then formed and survived hard times when other things changed.
I regret I couldn't come to USA yet because more than places and landscapes (and I'm sure there are quite over there) I always wanted to gather with people that make such places unique and special. Since I only have a cousin in Stockton / Modesto, I'd have taken the chance to meet some of the forum members and one of them would have been Frank. I really didn't know he was ill until the other day another longtime common friend, Ed (here above), gave me such an unexpected and sad news.
On one side I'm here to make my deepest condolences to the family, on the other, I think in Heaven they may need one more good person and skilled photographer for those special events that are often unrecognizable to our earthly eyes. Be well, Frank and hand little Baby Jesus our warmest wishes now that Christmas comes and ask for us all peace and conversion for our hardened and lukewarm hearts.
(*) I heard that in English it might have some kind of negative meaning: this is not the case at all, being a non-native speaker, I just don't know a more appropriate word - over here conversely it has a very positive hue, attentive and honestly caring.
I already miss his kind words and invitations, his honesty and goodness. And while the term is not used so much these days, I have always seen him as a "good man." There is a real shortage of them these days, but Frank was truly a good man. Now that my tears have dried for awhile, when I think of him it makes me smile. And I can only guess that God is smiling, too. I am proud to have had Frank as my friend.
Later I would consistently run into Frank as him and his boys were hanging out at Starbucks or Panera bread and crash his table to catch up over a cup of coffee before letting them get back to their boys antics. Frank loved life, loved his family and loved his friends. He was always welcoming, always kind and had a great heart. People like Frank don't come often and I'm blessed to have known him. I know he's dancing in heaven, and he's dearly missed on earth~ keep Dancing, we miss you~
My deepest sympathies to you and your entire family. While I never met your father, I know you cherished the times you shared, and your trips to watch the 'niners!
- Bob Fornicola
Leave a Tribute
A lot has happened in the past two years.
It has been too long since I gave you an update on the family goings-on’s. My plan had been to post an update every year, but I was very remiss with 2022 updates, so expect a lot of news now as it is the end of 2023.
COVID inoculations (scheduled by need and age groups) reached the younger generations (under 12 years by mid-2022). That along with the natural herd-immunity granted to the survivors of the previous waves of COVID finally encouraged folks to brave extended air travel and begin attending potential super-spreader-events around mid to late 2022.
Colby (who was the most diligent about COVID exposure safety) went for his first salon hair cut spring of 2022 – he got a nice cut and went down with a 5-day case of COVID; Kristy and the girls moved over to the Long’s beach house. Kristy returned home from the beach house about 4 days later with a slightly weaker case of COVID; the girls did not catch it. Score: 2 out of 4 for the Richardson family.
Brooke went to what she knew was a "potential" super-spreader-event in Seattle. - fall of 2022. Since it included a few different Boy-Bands from HER 90’s generation a group of her friends managed to get a Luxury Box and headed out with masks on. She came home with great memories as well as a nasty 5-day case COVID!
Shelby got COVID around the same time, but from a schoolmate who came home from school with Shelby to work on a project (in Shel’s bedroom with a door closed and no masks on). We did not know until later that night that her classmate had just returned – BY PLANE – from a long weekend trip. Oops!
3 years holding off on longer flights comes to an end for Richardson/Conway families:
The Conway’s made their first international flight to visit family and friends in the UK and Italy, etc. in the summer of 2022. On their return flight to SEA – Andrew got COVID. Score: 3 out of 4 for the Conway family.
Nancy, I had been visiting Boston 2 times a year (typically September and March) until March 12, 2020 when life – as we knew all it – came to an end. In mid-September 2022 I traveled back to Boston and got to visit many family members and old friends – including your Aunt Bernice. I must say those Glantz genes are really strong – she was looking lovely and mentally terrific – especially at 99+ years.
I’ll be back with more 2023 updates as well as videos and photos of PopPops 4 Girls from 22 & 23. We are all carefully getting back into the ACTIVITY period of our lives!
Frank, you were one of a kind and a great friend and I miss being able to see your smiling face and great laugh. I’d love to have shared with you my musical duo that I’m in. You did love to play guitar and would get a kick out of my “retirement gig” I truly Miss you brother and wish you peace!❤️
Please be patient.
Please be patient.
Please be patient.
Please be patient.
Please be patient.
Please be patient.
Please be patient.
Please be patient.
The ladies' man
With his gift of gab and a background in sales, Frank had no trouble approaching people and starting a chat with them. This of course served him well as a photographer. He always knew what to say to get his target(s) to relax and show a genuine smile. Of course, he took portraits of everyone, but he had an extra "je-ne-sais-quoi" in his attitude when he was dealing with a female model! It's one thing to do it at a wedding when guests are dressed up, expect their pictures to be taken and are happy for the occasion. It's an entirely different thing when the object of his photographic desire is totally unknown.
Frank always had something nice or funny (always appropriate) to say to break the ice with ladies he had never seen before, who wouldn't ever consider in their right mind having their photo taken by a total stranger approaching them with a large (and later, a bit smaller) indimidating camera. These seemingly random targets could be a waitress or a store manager, a lady walking her dog, another one taking a coffee break, yet another one waiting for a date, or a woman accompanied by a few kids whom he'd engage as well, especially if they were girls, probably thinking fondly about his own granddaughters. This has resulted in a stunning series of portraits where people look happy and genuinely smile. Frank would then routinely print those images and give a 4x6 copy to his subjects and they would invariably love it. He was having a good time doing it and he was brightening their day too.
Then Frank would stop by before or after lunch, and do the same kind of sweet talking to my dog, who adored him, after having met him at just a few months old. Frank showered the same attention onto the cat. And this often ended up with a few pictures as well. And yes, both Belle the dog and KC the cat are female. A coincidence? I think not.
Frank had a lot of ladies in his life, especially in his family, and he loved them all.
We'll miss Frank at annual Merry celebrations
June and I are not close family friends. However, every year for about 20 years we have gathered with friends for a Christmas party and fun gift exchange at the Ferrees. Frank and Nancy have been part of the group. Frank was always a person of fascination in conversation and, yes, he took photos for years - unobtrusively, like a pro.
The gift game is one in which we take numbers to determine the order we choose a gift from the pile of gifts everyone brought - some very nice, some more for kicks. You can 'steal' a gift from someone else when it's your turn. Lots of humor! Frank played it well and was one of those with the cleverest comments.
Most of all, Frank was a man I respected and that respect came easy - just knowing him added to our lives. June and I will miss him...and tonight is the annual Christmas party - it won't be the same without him.
Frank was one of a kind (in a good way) :)
"Uncle Frank" was a role model to me. I met him on Silicon Investor where he nicknamed me "Doctor Id" (I'm a psychologist). We met in San Diego at a meeting and became good friends. We then had a gambling trip in Las Vegas where he and I roomed together (he brought me ear plugs as he said that I would need them...he was right). I went up to San Jose to visit for a weekend and a UCLA Stanford game the following year (I smuggled Frank a little weed on the plane...not too smart soon after 9-11!). We always had a great time and I always loved his stories and counsel. After we realized that we weren't so great with the stock picking, he got into digital photography (he mastered that much better than the stock market!). He and Nancy met a few times down the coast of Santa Barbara on the way to visit their kids. He was a very devoted father and husband and just a great man. I know that Frank was a complicated guy and life with Frank was probably not always a "walk in the park" for his wife and family, but he had a lot of love for his family and friends that made him an amazing man. I'm honored to have been his friend.