Delgado, Francisco A's Obituary
Francisco Anguiano Delgado Obituary
Francisco Anguiano Delgado, son of late Francisco Davalos Delgado and Hilaria Villanueva Anguiano passed away peacefully on Saturday, December 28th, 2024. Frank was born in Los Angeles, California on July 17, 1934. He was the eldest of four and always proud to have been born and live in Southern California. He had two brothers Gonzalo and Benito and his sister Carmen. Frank and his siblings lost their mother when he was only seven years old. He and his brother Gonzalo were sent to Nogales, Arizona where they resided with an aunt and uncle while his two younger siblings stayed in Fullerton with another aunt. In his early teenage years, he decided to run away to Tijuana, Mexico with aspiring dreams of becoming a bullfighter and spend time with his half-brother Agustin. While practicing his bullfighting moves, he attended school and became fluent in Spanish. When not fighting bulls, he worked in vegetable packing houses in Chula Vista and Los Angeles, hanging out with friends, and reciting poetry.
At the age of 18, he met Nela Rios Reyes and they married a few months later. Once married, he became a laborer. In 1958 he joined the International Association of Bridge and Structural Ornamental Reinforcing Ironworkers Local 229, which was his long sought after career. They then moved to San Diego in early 1959 and later settled in Chula Vista. After being a revered Ironworker for many years, with his specialty in bridges. Frank became a General Contractor and retired when he was 62 years old.
Frank will be fondly remembered for helping friends, neighbors, and relatives, but mainly for providing for his wife and children. He would often assist Nela with fundraising events to provide for the needy. Frank and Nela spent many hours raising funds to provide orphanages and the needy with needed supplies, such as clothing, blankets, toys, and food. There were many times Nela would spend her day preparing food. She and Frank would then load their car with all the prepared food along with their children and head down to a Tijuana orphanage to take the supplies, toys, and food. The Delgado children that were old enough to help, were tasked to assist with serving the children and all Delgado children spent time talking and playing with the girls in the orphanage. Frank and Nela insisted that their children learn at an early age to help where help is needed. Frank worked tirelessly with his wife providing services in the Catholic community by volunteering at church festivals and being the head fish fryer at the Knights of Columbus’ annual fish fry during Lent. Frank was in the Knights of Columbus for many years and was Grand Knight from 1999 - 2000. Frank was very proud of building the planter for the statue of the Virgin Mary in memory of the unborn which is located outside the St. Pius X Office. There were many parties at the Delgado household with plenty of dancing and Frank entertaining with his poetry. He was very passionate about poetry and was honored to perform at several functions. He even wrote poems that were only shared with his family and closest friends. Anyone who traveled on freeways with Frank, especially his children and grandchildren, would get an earful of stories about every bridge he worked on as they would pass them by. And there were many bridges he worked on throughout San Diego County.
For many years, Frank enjoyed his annual deer hunting trips in California, Colorado, Utah, and New Mexico. He and Nela enjoyed traveling throughout the United States and several foreign countries. He was a man that was passionate about many things such as bullfighting, history, poetry, music, reading, hunting, and traveling. He was proud of many things, most of all his wife, Nela, and his family.
In the 67 years of his marriage to Nela, they had seven children, nine grandchildren, and ten great grandchildren.
Survivors are his children, Tony, Ysabel, Frank, Olga, and Louie; grandchildren, Benito R. Delgado, Robert P. Buckholz, Andrea Nicole Mitchell, Justin Delgado, Kristy Escalera, Franco Delgado, Neil Delgado, Amanda Browne, Alycia Salazar; great grandchildren, Robert P. Buckholz Jr., Ysabel Valentina Buckholz, Maria Ysabel Delgado, Benito R. Delgado Jr., Neil Delgado Jr., Jaxon Escalera, Kara Escalera, Skylar Browne, Charlotte Ali, Robert Brown; brothers, Gonzalo Delgado, Agustin Delgado; daughters-in-law, Karen Delgado, Debbie Delgado. Preceding his death is his loving wife of 67 years Nela Delgado; their sons Manuel Reyes Delgado, Rafael Reyes Delgado; father, Francisco D Delgado; mother, Hilaria Anguiano; brother, Benito Anguiano Delgado; sister, Carmen Prado.
Services will be held at St. Pius X Catholic Church, 1120 Cuyamaca Ave., Chula Vista, Ca. on Friday, January 24th. The Rosary will be at 9:00 a.m. and the Mass will follow at 10:00 a.m. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Emilio Nares Foundation. This foundation helps families navigate through their child’s journey with cancer and other life-threatening diseases. More information can be found at https://enfhope.org
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