The Journey of Frank C. Perez

Frank emigrated from Cuba with his family in the mid-50s and settled in the Bronx, New York. Francisco Perez graduated from Morris High School in New York, where he was an average student and an outstanding basketball player. The game of basketball provided much in his life, which included a scholarship to Loyola University in Chicago. Frank was a part of Loyola's NCAA Championship team in the early 1960’s. He later received his BA and M.A. degrees from Michigan State University. However, it was as a member of the Bronx Falcons Team that he found lifetime friends.

Frank was extremely affected by racism and injustice, which he experienced firsthand. In his professional career in Human Resources for the City of Inglewood, California, it was one of his duties to root out inequality in employment and insure fair treatment for all applicants and employees. Frank was opinionated on matters of injustice, racism, and political corruption. He had no patience for corruption or politicians playing games with people's lives. A religious man he was not, but he was dedicated to the very values of decency, truth, and caring embodied in what others consider Christian beliefs. In essence, he was not a man of God; he was a product of God. He had a sincere devotion for the raw truth, that at times cut like a knife and exposed an individual's true motives and behavior. As his brother Chris once stated, "II always thought his name suited his personality like a tailored suit. He was frank, candid, and direct to a fault." His frankness was the cornerstone that made him a positive and supportive father, brother, grandfather, mentor, and loyal friend.

Frank passed during early spring 2013, after a brief illness. His family and friends, choosing to never, ever forget his kindness, his support, and his lifetime commitment to the positive and absolute distaste for injustice, decided to seek an avenue to permanently recognize his resolve. We decided that the perfect format for continuing the legacy Frank represented would be the Frank C. Perez Youth Fund. Our mission has just begun, and hopefully, through the efforts of this 5013c fund, we can carry on his legacy of good works for a long time to come.