Frank Anton Reyes

Frank Anton Reyes of Apple Valley, California passed away peacefully on Friday, December 22, 2023 at the age of 94. Born to Francisco and Margarita Reyes in Sutherland, Nebraska on April 25, 1929, he was taught from a young age that family always comes first in life. Frank grew up in Hershey with his brothers and sisters working the local sugar beet fields. He spent several of his teenage years in Jalisco, Mexico, where he worked in the mail room at the local post office.

In 1949 he married Evangeline Martinez in North Platte, Nebraska and together they had six children: Joseph, Caroline, Rachel, Roxann, Alex and Stephen. Frank worked for the Union Pacific Railroad for many years until the family relocated to Southern California. Frank and Evangeline were both active members of the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) since the 1960s. Together with other family friends, they raised money and sponsored college scholarships for the local Latino communities.

Frank’s wife Evangeline passed away in 1971. Several years later Frank met Griselda Angulo Valle through mutual friends in LULAC. On June 14, 1976 they were married in Sinaloa, Mexico. Together they had two children: Diana and Frank. He also legally adopted his niece Dina Leal so that she could complete her studies in the US.

Frank worked as a heavy-duty mechanic and machine operator for M.C. Nottingham, Co., and eventually earned his general contractor license. He became a successful general contractor, starting his own business "F. Reyes & Sons," which he continued to run until his retirement. He was a union member with the International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE), Local 12 Chapter, for several decades.

A talented bowler, Frank was in multiple bowling leagues throughout his life, competing in tournaments in Las Vegas, and eventually retiring from the sport at the age of 91. After his retirement from contracting, Frank enjoyed spending time at home with his family and attending church services. He was an avid inventor and builder, with creations ranging from wooden go-karts to fully furnished guest houses. He loved accompanying Griselda in the garden for projects, and together they loved traveling to Mexico and Canada. He enjoyed playing the piano, and looked forward to the many trips to the casinos where he was consistently lucky at the slot machines. In his golden years he kept his mind sharp with puzzles, including his favorite: word find. He also became a prolific artist, sharing his beautiful creations daily with family and friends on WhatsApp. Most importantly though, he loved his whole family, and always made the effort to spend time with them and keep in contact. He will be greatly missed.

Frank was preceded in death by his parents, Francisco and Margarita Reyes; his wife, Evangeline Reyes; sons, Joseph and Stephen Reyes; infant daughter, Caroline Reyes; his brothers, Joe, Juan-Manuel, Moses, Manuel and Ralph; his sister, Carmen; and great-grandson, John Cota Jr. Those left to cherish his memory include his wife of 47 years, Griselda Reyes of California; daughters, Rachel Martinez-Ramirez (Reyes) of Nebraska, Roxann (Bill) Webb of Oklahoma, Diana (Robert) Suderman and Dina (Darryl) Harder of Manitoba, Canada; sons, Alex Reyes of Oregon and Frank (Teresa) Reyes of California; 17 grandchildren; 16 great-grandchildren; one great-great-grandchild; his brothers, Joe, Larry and Carlos; sisters, Marilyn, Hope, Rosa, Esmerelda and Jesusita; a multitude of honorary children/grandchildren, and numerous other family and friends. His final resting place will be Sunset Hills Memorial Park in Apple Valley, CA.