Francisco Sandez

Francisco (“Paco” as he was known to all) was born on February 11, 1933, in a small, rural town in Galicia, Spain, to the late Jose and Amparo Sandez Fernandez. He was one of five siblings and, although he grew up under the hardships of the dictatorship that emerged after the Spanish Civil War, he had big dreams.

As a young man, Paco served for two years in the Spanish military and was stationed in Morocco, a fascinating country he remembered fondly his entire life. Upon returning to Spain, Paco decided he wanted to experience more of the world. He and his life-long best friend, Jose Conde, hopped on a boat heading to South America, where they zeroed in on Sao Paolo, Brazil as the place to be. Paco loved Brazil: the energy, the opportunities and the soccer obsession. During his ten years of living there, he was able to try his hand at many things including owning a local pub and visiting many of the surrounding countries as an automotive parts distributor. In Brazil is where he met the love of his life, Anna. When Anna determined to move to New York City, Paco followed suit. They were married on February 1, 1969, and raised three children together: Christine, Jeffrey, and Jose Luis (“Luis”).

In 1999, Paco retired from his job and he and Anna decided that a change of scenery was in order. Together with their youngest son, Luis, they moved to Cary, North Carolina, to join their daughter, Christine, and her husband, Jamey. Though Paco lost his bride of forty-three years to cancer some years later in 2012, he enjoyed many years of joy and laughter participating daily in the lives of his children and eight grandchildren.

While in his 80’s, Paco learned how to navigate the carpool line, master iPhone apps, and work with smart TVs. He loved his wine, his cigars, arguing politics and his favorite soccer team, Real Madrid (particularly on those occasions when they would beat Barcelona). Paco's passing on April 22nd was peaceful and a beautiful end to a truly well-lived life. He will be missed more than words can ever express.

Paco is survived by his four siblings, sisters Josefina and Ines, and brothers Manolo and Luis, his three children and their spouses, Christine and her husband, Jamey, Jeffrey and his wife, Laura, and Luis and his wife, Jennifer, and his eight beloved grandchildren: Alyssa (18), Mia (15), Rhowan (15), Jillian (14), Jared (14), Carter (8), Cristian (6) and Colin (3).

The family will receive friends Thursday, May 12, 2022 from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM at Brown-Wynne Funeral Home, 200 Southeast Maynard Road, Cary, NC 27511. A funeral mass will be held Friday, May 13, 2022 at 11:00 AM at St. Andrew the Apostle Catholic Church, 3008 Old Raleigh Road, Apex, NC 27502.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.BrownWynneCary.com for the Sandez family.