Frank Hernandez, 69, passed away Aug. 20, 2019, at Whatcom Hospice House surrounded by family and friends.
Frank was born Sept. 4, 1949, at Wichita Falls Texas Air Force Base to Albert and Shirley (Barto) Hernandez, joining his brother Mike. The family made their home in Bellingham. In 1960 Frank gained a step-mother and the blended family moved to Ferndale.
Frank was a very special football player at Ferndale High School; he graduated in 1968, receiving a football scholarship to Columbia Basin College. After college Frank worked at Intalco for 20 years, during which time he married Verona Berger and had three children: sons Frank Jr. and Jody, and daughter Dana.
Frank moved to Glacier, making many new friends working at the Chandelier and singing. Later, Frank married Jeanna Clough and gained two more children, Tom and Kathy. They worked at Mt. Baker Rim and then moved to Tucson and boarded horses for several years.
Frank returned to Glacier and worked for Oxbo until he retired. He was happy hunting, fishing and chopping wood. Frank was a special person, very easy to be around. We will greatly miss his smiling face. He was always telling stories and his goal was to make everyone happy. His nurses said he was a 5-star patient.
Frank was preceded in death by his father, Al Hernandez, in 2008; mother, Shirley, in 1997; sister Marla Maassen in 1989; brother Mike Hernandez in 1992; brother Jeff Sorenson in 1998; uncle Bennie Hernandez; aunt Mabel Henderson; and uncle Al Lincoln.
Survivors include his step-mother, Barb Lincoln-Hernandez of Ferndale; children Frank Hernandez Jr. of Nashville, Jody (Nicole) Hernandez of Ferndale, Dana (Michael) Booker of Bellingham, Tom (Angie) Clough of Bellingham, and Kathy (Gene) Martinez of Tucson; aunts and uncles Vivian Junkin of Shelton, Gary and Irene Morgan of Everson, Annabell (Charlie) Aahhitty of Moore, Oklahoma, John (Kris) Monroe of Lake Stevens, and Jim (Crissy) Monroe of Seaside, Oregon; brother-in-law Roger Maassen of Ferndale; sister-in-law Kathy (Kelly) Marlow of Ferndale; nephews Eric Sorenson of Ferndale, Cody Craig of Marysville, and Mike Hernandez of Florida; 18 grandchildren and one great-granddaughter; many cousins; all his friends in Glacier and Ferndale; and special friends who loved and cared for him, Dan and Debbie Bly of Glacier.
A Celebration of Life will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 7, in the Ferndale Senior Center. Sandwiches will be served; please bring side dishes of salads or desserts. Frank wanted to be cremated and his ashes scattered at the Nooksack River where he fished. This was done at a private gathering on Sunday, Aug. 25.
A special thank-you goes to the staff at PeaceHealth St. Joseph Hospital and Whatcom Hospice House.
Please share your memories of Frank at www.molesfarewelltributes.com.
