Francisco J. Hernandez

Francisco (Frank) was born in Pinar del Rio, Cuba to Alfredo and Maria Hernandez on September 11, 1947. Frank was lovingly known as “Pancho” to his family. He came to the United States in January 1962.  He graduated High School at St. Rita High School in Chicago Illinois. He went on to earn a Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical Engineering from DeVry University and a Bachelor’s of Science in Business Management from Elmhurst College in Chicago. He worked in product design for the telecommunications industry at GTE Communications for over 30 years and then at Charles Industries for another 5 years.  He retired and went on to a post-retirement career at Elgin Community College for ten years. Over his lifetime he volunteered in various organizations including; Knights of Columbus, St. Marcelline Parish in Schaumburg, and various Home Owners Association Boards.  Frank led teams on behalf of his employers who were ultimately awarded various patents related to telecommunication circuit board designs. In 1992 Frank won the prestigious AG Communication Systems Strowger Award for technology advancements in micro-chip design.

Frank is preceded in death by his parents Alfredo Hernandez (father), Maria Hernandez y Arandia (mother), and Alicia Rodriguez y Hernandez (sister).

Frank is survived by his beloved wife, Phyllis (nee Meersman), of over 55 years;  his dear daughters Elena (Pete) Srejovic and Christina; his loving grandchildren Sofia, Nicholas, and Alexander; his close brothers and sisters Alfredo (Carmen), Teresita (Bill), Joaquin, Omar, and Maria; and many nieces and nephews.

Visitation will be held on December 28, 2021, from 5:00PM to 8:00 PM at Fred Hunter’s Funeral Home, 2401 South University Drive, Davie, FL 33324.

A Funeral Mass will be celebrated on the following day, December 29, 2021, at 9:30AM at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church, 22094 Lyons Rd, Boca Raton, Florida 33428.  Burial will follow at a later date in Chicago. The family would like to invite anyone that is attending the funeral to join us for a light lunch at one of Frank’s favorite restaurants Padrino’s located at FL-7, Mission Bay, FL 33498 in Boca Raton.

Our Father was truly exceptional. He had higher moral standards than anyone we knew. He always taught us there was a solution to every challenge in life. Family was always first, and we always knew, that together with our mom, he would be there to support and guide in any way he could.  He was so Intelligent and witty. He was private and quietly cerebral always thinking and never missing any detail. We are so blessed to call him our Dad.

The American Red Cross was very important to Frank as they provided much needed assistance to many Cubans arriving in the United States at that time.  In lieu of flowers, please honor Frank by making a donation to The American Red Cross on his behalf at https://www.redcross.org/