Frank "Pachi" Achondoa

Frank “Pachi” Achondoa was born in Cagayan de Oro, Philippines on June 14, 1940, the second youngest of a family of 6 siblings. An already difficult childhood marked by the catastrophe of WW2 was made even more tragic by the premature loss of both his parents. He spent much of his younger years in Jesuit boarding schools and then years later, graduated from Ateneo de Manila with a B.S. in Economics. Frank joined Philippine Airlines in 1965, becoming a commercial pilot known for his impeccable navigational skills and incomparable ability to land airplanes smoothly. However, he decided to take a principled stance against PAL’s mistreatment of its workers, and he lost his position when he joined the pilots’ strike. It was around this that time, in the summer of 1974 when he met and fell in love with the woman who would become his wife, Lorna Salgado.

After years of exchanging innumerable handwritten letters, they reunited in North America, settling down in California where they married in 1985. In 1991, they had their son Anton, and a few years later, Abbie joined the picture. Frank was a man of faith, a long time parishioner at Our Lady of Peace in Santa Clara, an ardent fan of classical music, and a loving husband, father, brother, uncle, and friend to all who knew him. After an extended struggle with pulmonary disease, he passed away on April 21, 2023.