Daily Breeze Obituary - Feb 28, 2021

Frank Gleason Jr., born on April 24, 1959, passed away on February 16, 2021.

He is survived by his children and their spouses, Jennifer and Ronny, Frank and Jaime, Sarah and Rudy, Astrid and Tommy; grandchildren, Rileigh, Sasha and Saor; mother, Marcella; and sisters, Abby, Julia, Molly, Stacey, Bridget, and Miriam; as well as nieces and nephews, aunts, and cousins.

He is mourned by long-standing friends and colleagues at MK Diamond. Frank found strength and solace in his Catholic faith and will be missed by his fellow congregants at St. Lawrence Martyr.  He joins his deceased father, Frank Gleason Sr., in Heaven. Frank didn't have it easy (or had it really good, depending on how you look at it!) growing up the oldest son followed by 6 sisters.

Frank and his mother, Marcella, had a special bond, one that can only be imagined and truly appreciated by mothers and sons. They remained close for his entire life and provided comfort and support to each other during the difficult times, as well as the joyful ones. His relationships with his sisters cannot be easily characterized in a few words; he had special nicknames that don't bear remembering although we do, refreshing our connection at each family gathering.

What is a life well lived? Frank was an accomplished golfer who played for UCLA during college and, until recent years, enjoyed the game as a scratch golfer on courses around the country. When his kids were in school, he refereed volleyball and soccer and participated in their lives as a father and a friend.

He was an aficionado of "Columbo", "Law and Order", and all things sports. He enjoyed Broadway shows and was an avid reader of spy and thriller novels. Most of all, he delighted in his family and grandchildren. His nieces and nephews will long treasure the family reunion trip to Las Vegas that their Uncle Frank organized to celebrate his 50th birthday, on a chartered bus that included rounds of Bingo, and cotton candy and dollar bills as prizes.

Frank was fiercely independent and chose to live on his own terms. We trust that Frank knew that he was surrounded by love and care at the very end, when his family and friends were absent at his side, but not in his heart.

Rest In Peace.
-With love and respect from Frank's sisters

Frank suffered a stroke in November 2018 right before Thanksgiving and just 2 weeks after walking his oldest daughter Sarah down the aisle at her Nov 10 wedding.  He called the ambulance himself when he realized that half his body had gone numb. He had been experiencing muscle weakness prior to this. His doctor had told him that this was likely just the effects of diabetic neuropathy. His doctor let him down big time.

He was taken to St. Mary's in Torrance, CA and spent nearly a week there before being released to a rehab center. He spent several weeks in rehab and then was released home. Frank's elderly mother, who is 30 years older than him, did the best she could to take care of him and nurse him back to health.

Frank kept in frequent contact with his family and friends during his recovery. His close friend John Yenny, who he met at UCLA and worked with, would meet him for lunch usually every week. He had hoped to return back to work, MK Diamond, where he was the sales manager. When that didn't seem to be a possibility anymore, and with his disability running out, he talked about getting part time employment that he could do from home.

Fortunately his mind was sharp and there appeared to be very minimal brain damage. His speech was unaffected. He kept his spirits up and enjoyed telling jokes to everyone who chatted with him on the phone. He was a stubborn man, however and would not even entertain the idea of getting a wheelchair. With extreme  muscle weakness in his legs, walking even to the bathroom proved challenging most days. He was thrilled however, when his doctor finally cleared him to begin driving again. 

During the past 2.5 years, he had several return trips to the hospital. Most recently, after a severe fall, he was taken again by ambulance to the hospital. He was released to a nursing home in Gardena.  His mobility had declined even more.

Not wanting to worry his friends, very few knew that he had been hospitalized again and even where he was. He lost touch with almost everyone. When his youngest daughter's cell phone messages went unanswered around Valentine's Day, she became very concerned. Frank had a difficult time keeping his cell phone charged so he was hard to reach in the final days. And of course because of COVID protocol, no one had even been allowed to visit him there.

On Monday night, Feb. 15, the nursing home contacted Addie because there was blood in his urine. He seemed to be okay though and they were going to run some tests in the morning. When the staff went into his room at 4 am on Feb. 16, he was having breathing problems. They started to do CPR but were unable to revive him. However, the actual cause of death at this time has not been determined.

What I do know is that Frank was man with a huge heart and always looked on the bright side of life, even when faced with tremendous challenges and adversity.  He loved fiercely and was a bright beacon to all who knew him. He had a generous heart and although not a rich man, was always donating to worthy causes. To say that he will be missed is a huge understatement. Heaven has gained another angel. Rest in paradise dear Frank.