Francis Joseph Roddy Jr.

Frank passed away on March 9, 2015 at his home in Sacramento, Calif., following a yearlong battle with cancer. Frank had recently celebrated his 78th birthday.

Born February 1, 1937 in Philadelphia, Penn., the only son and eldest child of Agnes Bernadette (Curran) and Francis Joseph Roddy, Sr. Frank graduated from Christopher Columbus High School, Boston, Mass., in 1954 and received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Texas, El Paso in 1960.

Frank married the love of his life, Joanne Lois Arseneau, daughter of Ruth Virginia (McDermott) and Everett Paul Arseneau, on August 6, 1960, at St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Church, Bristol, Ind. Together they raised four children: Francis Joseph, III; Sharon Marie; Mark Steven; and James Everett.

Frank was a helicopter pilot in the US Army and served two tours in Vietnam where he was awarded the Purple Heart and the Flying Cross. Frank resigned from the Army with the rank of Captain and the family moved to Sacramento in 1968 where he worked as a stock broker for Meryll Lynch. Frank later worked for the Public Employees Retirement System and the State Teachers Retirement System. He retired from PERS in 1996.

Frank enjoyed meeting and talking with people and after retirement represented PERS and various healthcare companies at health fairs across the state. He would choose events near areas he wanted to visit and he would extend those trips into a vacation with Joanne. Frank and Joanne also traveled to all of the weddings and funerals of family members and several family reunions since his retirement. They also liked to take the family on vacations together, including Alaskan and Caribbean cruises.

Frank was a member of the Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association and attended their annual meetings until last year when his failing health prevented him from traveling. Frank and Joanne have been members of St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Church in Sacramento since 1972, when they moved to their current home.

Frank enjoyed spending time with his children and grandchildren going camping and attending all of those events children are involved with. Frank and Joanne also enjoyed the theater, being season ticket holders of the Sacramento Community Center’s Broadway Series.

Frank was preceded in death by his parents and parents-in-law; and brothers-in-law, James Arseneau, Ben Schemmel, and Paul Arseneau.

Frank is survived by his wife of fifty-five years, Joanne: children, Francis (Margaret) Roddy, III, Sacramento; Sharon (Leon) Racine, Rancho Cordova; Mark (Tracie) Roddy, Roseville; and James (Darrell Porcello) Roddy, San Francisco: grandchildren, Nicole Racine, Rancho Cordova; Keith (Tiffany)Racine, Fort Stewart, GA; Michele Racine, Elk Grove; Cameron, Corrine, and Crystal Roddy, all of Roseville: great-grandchildren, Karissa and Talyia Racine, Fort Stewart, GA: sisters, Barbara (Ted) Dickard, Lincoln, Calif., and Rosemary Schemmel, El Paso, TX.: brothers and sisters-in-law, Joanne Arseneau, Boston, Mass.; Lucy Arseneau, Rochester, N. Y.; and Pat (Liz) Arseneau, Sturgis, Mich.; and numerous nieces and nephews as well as a host of friends.