Dr. Francisco "Frank" Zaldivar Jr.

Francisco Zaldivar, Jr., Ph.D. May 21, 1962, to November 10, 2023

Hilarious, brilliant, incredibly loving, and cheeky, till the end, Dr. Francisco (AKA Frank) Zaldivar, transcended this world on November 10th, 2023, following a near 16-year battle with cancer (multiple myeloma and amyloidosis). He passed peacefully at home as he desired, surrounded by loved ones, with reggae music playing softly in the background, his fur babies under his bed, and free of pain. He had fought cancer valiantly; and he miraculously outlasted all early estimates of his survival! Alas, the last two and a half years of his life, following a second bone marrow transplant at the City of Hope, were challenging, and his body and soul are finally at rest now. The family extends their deepest gratitude to all who shared in his journey and lightened his load a little. Frank’s love of family, friends, colleagues, the medical staff that cared for him, along with his passion for his work, and zest for life, motivated his will to survive. Since his June 2021 transplant, Frank would entertain himself by listening to music (especially reggae), watching the cooking channel, engrossing himself in a new streaming series, enjoying a fond weekly massage from his specialized cancer therapist, visiting with loved ones, dining on his favorite foods, getting out when possible, spending quality time with his wife Tracey, and Alec and Jacob (his sons) and experimenting with different forms of art. He always said, “You are never too old to learn, or too sick to be idle.” Impressively, Frank adeptly kept his cancer battle well hidden from many individuals for several years. As his son Alec commented, “Frank was a true scientist, scholar, and gentleman.” To know Frank was to love him. He easily won you over with his magnetic personality, beautiful grin, deep thoughts, infectious laugh, and sense of humor. There wasn’t a word he couldn’t invent and persuade you that it was real, or a yarn that he couldn’t spin so convincingly that you didn’t believe it. He could make you laugh, like no other. He could make you laugh to the point that you forgot just how sick he was, and for a moment, you and he would be suspended in time in a full-bodied, united, hearty laugh.

He rose from humble beginnings in a closeknit Mexican family of seven children from a small farming town in Gilroy California, to become a highly respected scientist, researcher, educator, and mentor. Being the oldest boy in a closeknit traditional Hispanic family came with both responsibility and privilege. He was, and still is, his mother’s “Granito de Oro” – her golden nugget. While he set a wonderful example for many family members, he also had the luxury of getting away with things, which his siblings often took the fall for, and often reminded him about! For example, at the youthful age of just thirteen, he and a buddy took his older sister’s Aida’s car out for a spin and crashed it. Rather than face repercussions, his sister was punished by his parents for having “left the keys within access of your younger brother.” Oh, he could do nothing wrong! While Frank regales stories of working long hours in the fields, the reality is that he did work long hours as a teenager and young adult; but at the Longhouse Restaurant in Gilroy, honing his cooking skills and forging lifelong friendships. Growing up, Frank has fond memories of all nine members of his family fitting into an old two-toned Station Wagon and vacationing at various amusement parks or beaches, playing games, and celebrating the holidays with music and dance. Over the years, his loving nuclear family bond continued to grow and extended to include nieces and nephews, great nieces and nephews, and other relatives.

Frank’s deeply devoted Catholic parents. Rosa and Francisco Sr., instilled in Frank strong core values of education and family. He attended St. Mary’s Elementary School and Palma High School in Salinas, riding a bus 45 minutes one way every day for the solid education that his family sought. In junior college, his love for science exploded. He received a prestigious internship at Stanford Medical School where he discovered his love for research. In 1984, he transferred to UCI where he received his bachelor’s in biological science and held active leadership roles in the UCI Newman Club and the Chicanos for Community Medicine (CCM) Club. He created lifelong friendships while at UCI – including many who would go on to be his best friends his entire life (i.e., Hoss (Kathi), Jose, Dr. Tom (Yasuyo), Paul (Peg), Theresa (Hal), Sandy, Jinina and Alex (Donna)-vicariously, Karen (Mike), the Newman Club Squad, the CCM crew, and his beloved wife, Tracey. Valued friends from our sports families, respective work environments, our group camping trips, the neighborhood, and cherished compadres (i.e., Fred and Andrea) followed. Frank was so popular that his friendships extended not only to different part of this country, but to various parts of the world, including, Israel, Spain, and Norway.

In 1988, Frank won a prestigious award from the Western State Medical Research Forum, for meritorious research. This was his second major award, as he had already received a research grant from the National Institute of Health (NIH). He eventually achieved a doctorate in biomedical science (with a concentration in immunology). Frank would go on to receive numerous awards, accolades, and grants, including a prestigious post doctorate fellowship from the NIH which he conducted at CHOC hospital, awards from local mayors for his volunteer commitments, and the 2016 UCI ICTS Translational Research Award. Dr. Zaldivar’s leadership in biospecimen curation was responsible for a myriad of successful UCI NIH awards and for their continuation and success. He also made significant and everlasting contributions to the study of AIDS, Diabetes, and Pediatric Exercise Science. Dr. Zaldivar conducted one of the largest clinical trials ever at Lathrop Middle School funded by the National Institute of Health. The study, Project Healthy, was instrumental in highlighting the health needs of the Latino Community.

According to Dr. Dan Cooper, UCI Distinguished Professor (Pediatrics) and Interim Executive Director of the UCI Institute for Precision Health and Associate Director UCI Institute for Clinical and translational Science (ICTS) and Shlomit Radom-Aizik, Professor of Pediatrics and Executive Director of the Pediatric Exercise and Genomics Research Center (PERC), “Dr. Zaldivar was a beloved leader and pioneer in UCI’s national ascendancy as a powerhouse in clinical translational science. He successfully left his indelible mark in two UCI entities, serving as director for the Institute of Clinical and Translational Science (ICTS) Biorepository Core and the Pediatric Exercise and Genomics Research Center (PERC) Community Outreach and Education Program and the Flow Cytometry Program. Dr. Zaldivar enabled discoveries that transformed the science of exercise physiology by demonstrating the powerful impact of physical activity on the immune system. His expertise in flow cytometry and his ability to identify novel biomarkers illuminated the mechanisms through which exercise benefits health across the lifespan. Dr. Zaldivar led an extremely effective campuswide ICTS biorepository and brought a nationally recognized, computer-based approach to the identification and curation of biological specimens to UCI. Under Dr. Zaldivar’s leadership, the ICTS Biorepository Center transformed how UCI investigators could access critically important research material. At PERC, Dr. Zaldivar’s door was always open, whether for a heated discussion on flow cytometry, how best to reach out to and engage our community, or to help a new investigator implement a solid plan for biospecimen labelling and curation. Dr. Zaldivar was also an enthusiastic and tireless advocate for outreach, education, and collaboration with schools and community partners throughout our region. His work with the Hispanic community was legendary.” Frank’s UCI family was unfaltering in their support during his latest illness, and under the leadership of Shlomit, Fadia, and Dan, they initiated the annual dedication of the UCI PERC ANTI-CANCER Challenge Team to Dr. Zaldivar.

To recognize Dr. Francisco Zaldivar’s contributions as an inspiring scientist, mentor, and teacher, the Madison Park Santa Ana Community renamed the organization that Dr. Zaldivar co-founded and co-lead with his UCI friend and colleague, Jose Rea, to the Dr. Francisco Zaldivar Aspire Learning Mentor & Achieve (ALMA) Science Academy and Mentorship Pipeline. Frank was also a founding member of the GREEN-MPNA Community Advisory Board. The ALMA program brought together several stakeholders who shared the common goals of promoting a passion for STEM and a healthier lifestyle. At the ALMA Science Academy, Frank was frequently surrounded by kids enthralled with his realistic models of muscle and adipose tissue, and eager to learn about the proper types of exercise and diet required to stay healthy – he had a talent for explaining science to children that was relatable and understandable. At ALMA, undergraduate, graduate, and medical students, along with faculty members, volunteers and community educators came together to bring a unique learning experience to elementary, junior high, and high school students, parents, and families. Over the years, ALMA students and mentors have benefited from increased standardized test scores, increased pathways to universities, and increased career opportunities in science and education.

In addition to his involvement with ALMA, over the years, Dr. Zaldivar actively volunteered his time to several non-profit organizations and events, including, community health fairs, the Board of Directors for the AIDS Walk of Orange County (with his wife), the St. Joachim youth group (where he and Tracey developed their friendship that would become a lifelong bond), the Relay for Life, the CHOC walk, and the RED CROSS (as an HIV/AIDS educator). He believed strongly that living a life of service was the true core of happiness.

When we close our eyes, we shall remember Frank playing the Loteria with his family, intentionally mispronouncing the characters’ titles, telling jokes, listening to Reggae, taking a walk in the neighborhood or at the beach, talking on the phone with his mother discussing daily events, discussing the latest science or political trends, sitting in his chair at dinner time while sneaking food to the fur babies, barbecuing with friends, eating pan dulce with coffee, sharing one of his classic Frankisms, and doing something outrageous or inappropriate for a laugh (which he always got). Whether Frank was wearing balloon animals on his head, dangling ornaments from his boxers, swiping his finger deep into a celebration cake to have that first bite of frosting (even when it wasn’t his celebration), and greeting everyone with a loud “Happy Birthday” (regardless of their actual birthday), that man could always put a smile on your face!

Frank is survived by his loving and adoring wife of 32 years, Dr. Tracey Silveira-Zaldivar, and his incredible and brilliant sons, Alec and Jacob (Kara, Jacob’s dear companion), as well as his closeknit biological family, including his much-revered mother, Rosa, cherished siblings and in-laws, Aida, Irma (Sam), Raul (Marilyn), Javier (Alma), (Terri), treasured nieces and nephews, aunts, uncles, cousins, and many more caring extended relatives. He is also survived by many marvelous close friends, colleagues, compadres, and neighbors, whom he considered family. He is preceded by the beloved patriarch of the family Francisco Sr., and two dear siblings, Dan, and Olga.

While Frank had many titles, awards, and recognitions, no title was as precious to him as “father.” He loved his boys immensely, and, despite being a workaholic, he rarely missed a soccer game, baseball game, lacrosse game, or any other activity that our boys were involved in. One day, while camping at our annual group camping event, his boys went inside the local store to buy ice cream, and after waiting less than five minutes for them, he turned and pronounced loudly that he already missed his boys. Both boys moved back to our home two and a half years ago to help care for their father – that’s a true testament of love. Together, the boys and Frank made beautiful memories whether watching a Formula One Race or the World Cup, or going to Reggae Concerts, or engaging in artwork, or discussing life and politics at the dinner table, or playing with the family pups; their bond was palpable and unbreakable. Frank hoped that the boys and their friends would forever remember him as “the cool dad.”

As a married couple, Frank and Tracey resided first in Costa Mesa, then Aliso Viejo (where we owned our first home, raised a wonderful pet, Kimba, and had our children), until settling down in Lake Forest, California in 1998. There, we raised our family in a lovely residential community where neighbors maintain manicured lawns and look out for one another. As a family, we have fond memories of trips to San Diego, Santa Barbara, amusement parks, group camping trips, sporting events, Yosemite, Las Vegas, local Casinos, Temecula, and most recently, Oregon and Kauai. Additionally engrained in our memories, are our dinners with family and friends, playing table games together, singing along with Alex and the rest of the musical Belman Family, doting on our fur babies, or cooking together (Frank’s cheesy potatoes, artichoke dip, and ham are legendary). When Frank was newly diagnosed with cancer, the family adopted Gus, a mischievous and gorgeous mixed-breed pup. A year ago, shortly before Frank initiated palliative care, we adopted our beautiful, sassy, baby Bella. Both pups provided much unrequited love, affection, and distraction, not only to Frank, but to the entire family. Kimba, Coco, and Hopper have rounded out our fur baby family, lovingly, over the years –their acquisitions remain amongst the best decisions that our family ever made.

Frank co-authored more than 226 publications in peer review journals and his work has been cited more than six thousand times. He presented at multiple medical and scientific conferences, in the states and abroad, (including New York, New Orleans, Hawaii, Washington DC, and Amsterdam, to name just a few). But his greatest legacy will likely be the students and mentees that he inspired to follow in his footprints and his two incredible young adult sons.

Frank taught us how to live with grace amidst deep pain, to triumph beyond adversity, and to dedicate ourselves to something that we are enthusiastic about. In the past two and a half years alone, Frank was hospitalized over two dozen times, staring his mortality in the face on multiple occasions, only to bounce back, miraculously. He embodied hope and strength. As a testament to his indomitable spirit and willpower, in July 2023, within hours of being released from a week’s stay at a nearby hospital, Frank was in San Juan Capistrano with his wife and good friends (Maya and John), watching an outdoor musical about the history of Cumbia and Salsa music in America, as it was a Mother’s Day present from our sons and Kara. Frank was determined not to miss the event. At the end of the evening, he joined the other revelers in jubilant dancing. ‘Twas a magical night.

Frank cautioned us not to worry so much about what others think of us, but rather, to be concerned about what we think of ourselves. He laughed deeply, loved deeply, and lived each moment to the fullest to the very end. His quick wit, joyful soul, kind-hearted demeanor, generosity, charismatic nature, intellectuality, and his ability to charm you and help you forget your troubles, will be missed by all. Goodnight sweet prince Dr. Zaldivar, your aching body can finally rest. There are no more hospital stays, no more nurses, no more doctors, no more infections, no more cancer, no more diabetes, no more medications, and finally, no more pain. Your soul is free. You are walking gleefully around the heavens, looking after us. You are home, reunited with loved ones, yet, forever in our thoughts and hearts.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that you please consider donations in his memory to either of the following charities that were so dear to his heart:

1) The Dr. Francisco Zaldivar ALMA Science Academy, Mentorship Pipeline and Scholarship Fund provides four scholarships annually, two for high school students and two for college students. https://mpnagreen.org/about-us/francisco-zaldivar/ (Please scroll around on the site to find Frank’s tribute and scholarship donation site.)

2) UCI Irvine PERC/ICTS Dr. Frank Zaldivar Memorial Lectureship/Scholarship which supports novel advances and state of the art communications in exercise as medicine for a wide variety of learners at national conferences https://fundraise.givesmart.com/vf/ZALDIVAR

Via the ALMA and PERC/ICTS programs, Frank achieved his greatest long-term goal of inspiring others to love science and education as much as he did, and to never forget one’s roots.

The family also requests that in Frank’s memory, that you “chill,” blast an uplifting Reggae song, spread good vibes, toast with a fruity Rosé, play with a beloved pet, learn something new, and hug someone you love today.

All Funeral Services will be held on December first, second, and third. Please refer to the online obituary and service notice at Fairhaven Memorial Services at 27856 Center Drive, Mission Viejo, CA 92692 for more information. We hope you join us in celebrating this amazing life. https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/mission-viejo-ca/francisco-zaldivar-11537247