Frank Jacques Godbille

Francois was born in Belgium and lived through World War II. He had vivid childhood memories of interactions with Belgian, German and American soldiers. As a teenager, Francois became interested in mechanics, taking apart and putting back together anything with gears from motorcycles to cars to clocks. His aptitude for mechanics and intense work ethic were further cultivated in his early adult life when he worked on furnaces in a local steel mill and served in the Belgian army.

Francois met his future wife of almost 58 years, Monique, when they were in high school. They wed in 1954 and had a daughter. Francois and his family emigrated to California in 1958 under the sponsorship of his brother-in-law, an American GI that had met and married Monique’s sister in Belgium during war.

Francois was a mechanical genius and quickly found a niche for himself in Los Angeles working on European cars and motorcycles. By the mid-1960s, Francois had purchased his own shop and earned a reputation a throughout the city as the “Frenchman” on the boulevard who could repair any European auto.

Francois loved adventure, history and antiques and cultivated these interests during his lifetime. In the 1980s, Francois, Monique and their young son took a 2 ½ year sailing trip that took them down the west coast of Mexico, through the Panama Canal and the Caribbean and ultimately to Florida. Francois and Monique spent many of their latter years at their home in Belgium, a place where Francois was able to immerse himself in the history and culture of his homeland.

Francois is survived by his son Christopher, daughter Dominique, Son in Law Keith, Daughter in Law Lara, and Grandchildren Xavier and Giselle. He was proceeded in death by his beloved wife, Monique

Arrangements under the direction of Pierce Brothers Valley Oaks Mortuary, Westlake Village, CA.