Frank Ortiz…January 28, 1926 – February 4, 2015

Funeral services for former Holly, Colorado resident Frank C. Ortiz, affectionately known as Francisco, Kiko, or Pancho will be held at 10:00 a.m. with rosary at 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday, February 11, 2015 at St. Francis De Sales/Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church with Father Charles Sena officiating.  Visitation will be held from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, February 10, 2015 at Valley Memorial Funeral Chapel in Lamar, Colorado with family present from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Interment will be held the following day, Thursday, February 12, at 9:30 a.m. at the Holly Cemetery.

Frank Chavez Ortiz was born on January 28, 1926 to Louis and Pomposa (Chavez) Ortiz in Holly, Colorado. He passed away at University Medical Hospital in Albuquerque, New Mexico at the age of 89.

Frank was raised in Holly, Colorado along with 13 other siblings. He was a decorated veteran of WWII, proudly serving our country as an antitank gun crewman during the war. He moved his family to Albuquerque, New Mexico following the war in 1951 and worked for the Sante Fe Railroad for 37 years as a master mechanic.

He was an avid deer hunter and fisherman and an extremely talented artist and wood carver. Frank was known to many in his home town of Belen, New Mexico as the “Santero”. Thanks to his years working on the railroad, he was also a great auto mechanic and had converted his garage to an auto repair shop where he enjoyed doing repairs on anything anyone brought to him. Frank lived a long, beautiful, happy life and he will be dearly missed.

Frank is survived by estranged spouse, Elsie Ortiz; his children, Frances and husband, Rick Cordova, Franklin and wife, Elizabeth Ortiz, Delores Romero, Estela Ortiz, Natividad and husband, Bill Bateman, Anthony Ortiz and Maria P. Hunter; grandchildren, Veronica Thomas, Michael Ortiz, Marquez Ortiz, Eric Ortiz, Donald Delzer, Darren Delzer, Monica Hemmert, Julia Bales, Ben Hunter, Heather Hunter, Sara Hunter, and Seth Hunter; great grandkids, Devan, Marcelo, Isabella, Mia, Damian, Jehsi, Aiden, Landon, Enrique, Anabel, Nicholas, Theodore, Griffin, Sammy, Kelsey; and siblings, Mary, Blaza, Minne, Bob and Mary Angel (Gloria).

He is preceded in death by his first wife, Isabel Ortiz Sheldon; parents, Luis and Pomposa Ortiz; and siblings, Nestora Lopez, Domingo Ortiz, Cidro Ortiz, Marcial Ortiz, Pancho Ortiz, Crestino Ortiz, Antonio Ortiz, Jessy Ortiz, and Gerardo Ortiz.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Wounded Warrior Project in care of Valley Memorial Funeral Chapel, P.O. Box 950, Lamar, CO, 81052.

For more information or to leave online condolences please visit www.valleymemorialfc.com.