Allan Lee DeFranco

Allan Lee DeFranco, age 73, passed away on December 10, 2022, in Glendale, Arizona, surrounded by his wife and four children, as well as a couple of close family and friends. He was a son, husband, dad, grandpa, and friend. He lived a full life, and his friends and family will deeply miss him.

Allan was born on July 16, 1949, in Cleveland, Ohio to Richard (Dick) and Loretta DeFranco. He grew up in Mentor, Ohio as the eldest son with three siblings. He was a proud graduate of Mentor High School, class of 1967. Allan continued to stay in touch with his former classmates through Facebook (Go Cardinals!). He was a first-generation college student and graduated from Lakeland Community College (Ohio) with an Associate’s Degree in Retail Management in 1969.

On April 1, 1970, Allan enlisted in the Navy. He served on active duty in the Navy until December 3, 1972, and then in the reserves through March 1980, when he was honorably discharged. He was stationed in Hawaii, where he was trained as a Cryptologic Technician Technical (CTT), serving as an expert at intercepting radio waves of various means.

After leaving active duty, Allan moved to California and settled in the Bay Area. On November 10, 1973, he married Susan Quadros. Together they shared two sons, Jeff and Ross DeFranco. Allan worked for several organizations in retail and sales during this period of his life, including Macy’s, Monsac, and Quantasia. He was also a joint owner of a landscaping business, where he was able to implement his love of gardening and nature. In 1986, he accepted a position as a financial advisor for VALIC. This was a career in which he truly thrived, and in 1997 he was named VALIC’s Top Producer in the Northern California Region.

Family and friends knew Allan as an avid football fan. He was a season ticket holder for the San Francisco 49ers and attended many tailgates over the years with his friends from VALIC. He also shared a passion for the Oregon Ducks with his son Jeff, who is an alumnus of the University of Oregon.

Allan moved to San Jose, California, in 1991, where he met the love of his life Vicki Costilla, whom he married on August 21, 1999. In 2001, he retired from VALIC and moved to Glendale, Arizona, with Vicki and his two stepdaughters, Adella and Stephanie DeHaro.

When he relocated to Arizona, Allan settled in the Arrowhead Lakes Community and even managed to successfully grow many plants and flowers in the hot Arizona desert! He enjoyed landscaping and took great pride in maintaining his yard. Allan had a green thumb and always kept a garden. For many years, he was very involved in the Arrowhead Lakes HOA and helped to coordinate many landscaping and beautification projects throughout the neighborhood.

Known by his family as “Mr. Glendale” for his active community involvement, Allan served on the Citizens Transportation Oversight Commission. He also participated in the Glendale Police Department Citizens Academy in 2010. He worked with Mayor Elaine Scruggs on her re-election campaigns, and he helped spearhead Glendale’s “Save the Park” project, successfully fighting to preserve Thunderbird Conservation Park’s beautiful desert environment. He had a group of close friends in the Glendale region, many veterans, who would meet for breakfast or coffee. He was one of the original members of the FOGs (Frickin’ Old Guys).

Allan is survived by his wife, Vicki; his two sons, Jeff DeFranco (Kasey) and Ross DeFranco; his two stepdaughters, Adella DeHaro (Joey) and Stephanie DeHaro (Chris); and his five grandchildren, Brody, Rocco, Mia, Luca, Olivia. He was preceded in death by his parents Dick (1926-2021) and Loretta (1930-2019) DeFranco. His father, Dick, who was a developer, city councilor, author, master gardener, and much more, was Allan’s role model and best friend throughout his life.

Dedicated husband, father, and grandfather ("Papi”), Allan was quick to share with any who would listen about how proud he was of his family. Many of his stories and social media posts shared the accomplishments of those he loved. We have lost our biggest fan and will greatly miss his constant encouragement and praise. He wanted the world to know how proud he was of his family, but we want the world to know how proud we are of him.

A life so richly lived deserves to be well remembered. Please join us for one or all of the following opportunities to honor Allan's memory and celebrate his life.

SERVICES:

Friends, family, and loved ones are invited to the Phoenix Memorial Park & Mortuary (200 West Beardsley Road, Phoenix, AZ) for the viewing on Saturday, December 17, any time between 4:00 pm and 7:00 pm Funeral services will be held in the chapel at the same location the following day, on Sunday, December 18, beginning at 1:00 pm. An on-site reception will immediately follow the services.

We recognize that many of Allan’s friends are out of state and may need some more time to make travel arrangements. Therefore, we have planned for a larger celebration of life event and the interment to be held at the National Memorial Cemetery of Arizona for veterans (23029 N. Cave Creek Rd., Phoenix, AZ) on Friday, January 6, 2023. Guests are invited to join us at the cemetery by 9:15 am, with the ceremony starting promptly at 9:30 am.

A celebration of life reception will follow from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm in the Pima room at the Arrowhead Country Club on Friday, January 6, 2023. There will be an opportunity for Allan’s family and friends to share stories and celebrate Allan. There will also be a sharing of photos and memories in a memorial slideshow.

The country club is located at 19888 N 73rd Ave in Glendale, AZ. Lunch will be served for guests at noon. Finally, those who are able and interested can join us for a hike at Allan’s favorite local nature spot. We will meet at the parking lot for Thunderbird Conservation Park (intersection of 55th and Pinnacle Peak) for a short remembrance hike beginning at 10:00 am on Saturday, January 7, 2023.

CHARITY:

Allan was a very generous man giving money, time, and resources to many local and national non-profit organizations. Some of his favorite charities included Westside Food Bank, Red Means Stop, and Special Olympics. Allan has been a partner in supporting Special Olympics since 1992, giving generously over three decades. Those who are interested can join him in supporting this deserving charity at: https://fundraise.givesmart.com/vf/SPECIAL/AllanDeFranco