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Services
Friends may visit with the family at the Vander May Wayne Colonial Funeral Home, 567 Ratzer Road, Wayne, on Wednesday, March 30, 2016 from 5-9 PM.
Following visitation, funeral services will continue in Puerto Rico where Francisco will be laid to rest in Cemeterio Municipal Cerro Gordo in San Lorenzo.
Francisco “Frankie” Ortiz, age 58, of Wayne, passed away unexpectedly on Sunday, March 27, 2016.
Frankie was born in Aibonito, Puerto Rico, the second of Calixto and Josefina Ortiz’ thirteen children. When he was just two years old, he moved to the Bronx, NY where he spent his childhood.
From the time he was just a little boy, Frankie had a fascination with the heavens. He loved studying the stars and other astronomical wonders so it’s no surprise that his lifework had to do with that which was in the sky. He grew up dreaming of becoming an astronaut or a rocket engineer. After graduating in 1974 from Aviation High School in Queens, he enlisted in the United States Army in 1976. He served proudly for twelve years including time as a gunner, then served another ten years in the Army Reserves. After his full-time Army service, Frankie moved to Paterson and worked as a mechanic working on Cobra and Black Hawk helicopters for Picatinny Arsenal in Dover.
While back visiting family in Puerto Rico, Frankie was introduced by his brother to a loving woman named Maria. They got married on June 11, 1988 at the Santa Maria Pentecostal Church in San Lorenzo, Puerto Rico. Frankie and his new wife made their first home together in Paterson where they soon were blest with a precious baby girl. Frankie loved the name Amaryllis – a gorgeous flower, so that became his little girls name. One of the first things he did was buy her a soft, fluffy, stuffed bunny rabbit. In 1999, the blessing of a baby boy came. Frankie and Maria named him Francisco Ortiz, Jr. and the name “Junior” soon became what every one called him. As Junior grew, Frankie loved running track with him. He wanted the best opportunities for his two children, so in 2000, he moved the family from Paterson to Wayne, so that Amaryllis and Junior could get the best education possible.
Frankie continued in his work with Picatinny Arsenal until 1994. He then joined Jet Aviation in Teterboro where he continued to work as a helicopter mechanic. He was such a gifted mechanic and very enterprising. On a couple of occasions, there just wasn’t a tool for what Frankie needed to do, so he invented one. He later had those tools patented. He stayed with Jet Aviation until 2008, then he joined Prudential Insurance Company where he shifted away from helicopters, working instead on the company’s fleet of private corporate jets. Frankie was working there to the present and he loved the opportunity to travel to many destinations including Alaska, Abu Dhabi, Singapore, China, England, and Malaysia, which his job afforded.
Frankie had a great lust for life and he perceived all the opportunities before him like a little boy in a candy store would perceive the candy. As a child growing up in the Bronx, he loved going to his karate lessons and he moved all the way up to the level of brown belt. As an adult, he wasn’t able to continue but in 2013 he resumed his karate sport and subsequently rose to the level of yellow belt. Being a jet engine mechanic, it’s no surprise that Frankie was really talented working with his hands. He loved old cars and his greatest pride was refurbishing a 1969 Chevy Camaro which he rebuilt from the ground up. When it was time to feed his mind, one of his favorite places to go was the History Channel. The knowledge he gained was great inspiration for conversations about government conspiracy theories and talk about the current events in politics.
Above all Frankie was the consummate family man - not just to his immediate family but to his whole extended family – Mom, his brothers and sisters, and nephews and nieces too. He knew everyone’s birthday and, with twelve brothers and sisters that was some great feat! Frankie parlayed his love of family with his love of cooking and he was always visiting different family members just so that he could bring them something good to eat that he lovingly made.
Frankie had a genuine servant heart. If you had a need, Frankie was there in a flash and he’d give you the shirt off his back if that’s what it took to help you. He was an encourager who was great at giving you the words that you needed to carry on. He actually felt a great sense of responsibility for his family and he had no problem challenging you to strive to be the best that you could be.
Frankie is survived by his loving daughter Amaryllis Ortiz of Camden and loving son Francisco, Jr. “Jr.” of Wayne; his dear mother Josefina Garcia of San Lorenzo, Puerto Rico; eleven brothers and sisters: Calixto Ortiz of the Bronx, NY, Sonia Ortiz of the Bronx, NY, Evelyn Ortiz of Puerto Rico, Millie Ortiz of Puerto Rico, Jose Ortiz of Atlanta, GA, Nancy Ortiz of Puerto Rico, Edwin Ortiz of Atlanta, GA, Ivette Ortiz of Puerto Rico, Lourdes Ortiz of Puerto Rico, David Ortiz of Puerto Rico, and William Ortiz of Puerto Rico; his former wife Maria of Wayne; and countless nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his dear father Calixto Ortiz, and his brother John Ortiz.
If you would like to send a private condolence directly to the family use this condolence section.
Friends may visit with the family at the Vander May Wayne Colonial Funeral Home, 567 Ratzer Road, Wayne, on Wednesday, March 30, 2016 from 5-9 PM.
Following visitation, funeral services will continue in Puerto Rico where Francisco will be laid to rest in Cemeterio Municipal Cerro Gordo in San Lorenzo.
Services
Friends may visit with the family at the Vander May Wayne Colonial Funeral Home, 567 Ratzer Road, Wayne, on Wednesday, March 30, 2016 from 5-9 PM.
Following visitation, funeral services will continue in Puerto Rico where Francisco will be laid to rest in Cemeterio Municipal Cerro Gordo in San Lorenzo.
Francisco “Frankie” Ortiz, age 58, of Wayne, passed away unexpectedly on Sunday, March 27, 2016.
Frankie was born in Aibonito, Puerto Rico, the second of Calixto and Josefina Ortiz’ thirteen children. When he was just two years old, he moved to the Bronx, NY where he spent his childhood.
From the time he was just a little boy, Frankie had a fascination with the heavens. He loved studying the stars and other astronomical wonders so it’s no surprise that his lifework had to do with that which was in the sky. He grew up dreaming of becoming an astronaut or a rocket engineer. After graduating in 1974 from Aviation High School in Queens, he enlisted in the United States Army in 1976. He served proudly for twelve years including time as a gunner, then served another ten years in the Army Reserves. After his full-time Army service, Frankie moved to Paterson and worked as a mechanic working on Cobra and Black Hawk helicopters for Picatinny Arsenal in Dover.
While back visiting family in Puerto Rico, Frankie was introduced by his brother to a loving woman named Maria. They got married on June 11, 1988 at the Santa Maria Pentecostal Church in San Lorenzo, Puerto Rico. Frankie and his new wife made their first home together in Paterson where they soon were blest with a precious baby girl. Frankie loved the name Amaryllis – a gorgeous flower, so that became his little girls name. One of the first things he did was buy her a soft, fluffy, stuffed bunny rabbit. In 1999, the blessing of a baby boy came. Frankie and Maria named him Francisco Ortiz, Jr. and the name “Junior” soon became what every one called him. As Junior grew, Frankie loved running track with him. He wanted the best opportunities for his two children, so in 2000, he moved the family from Paterson to Wayne, so that Amaryllis and Junior could get the best education possible.
Frankie continued in his work with Picatinny Arsenal until 1994. He then joined Jet Aviation in Teterboro where he continued to work as a helicopter mechanic. He was such a gifted mechanic and very enterprising. On a couple of occasions, there just wasn’t a tool for what Frankie needed to do, so he invented one. He later had those tools patented. He stayed with Jet Aviation until 2008, then he joined Prudential Insurance Company where he shifted away from helicopters, working instead on the company’s fleet of private corporate jets. Frankie was working there to the present and he loved the opportunity to travel to many destinations including Alaska, Abu Dhabi, Singapore, China, England, and Malaysia, which his job afforded.
Frankie had a great lust for life and he perceived all the opportunities before him like a little boy in a candy store would perceive the candy. As a child growing up in the Bronx, he loved going to his karate lessons and he moved all the way up to the level of brown belt. As an adult, he wasn’t able to continue but in 2013 he resumed his karate sport and subsequently rose to the level of yellow belt. Being a jet engine mechanic, it’s no surprise that Frankie was really talented working with his hands. He loved old cars and his greatest pride was refurbishing a 1969 Chevy Camaro which he rebuilt from the ground up. When it was time to feed his mind, one of his favorite places to go was the History Channel. The knowledge he gained was great inspiration for conversations about government conspiracy theories and talk about the current events in politics.
Above all Frankie was the consummate family man - not just to his immediate family but to his whole extended family – Mom, his brothers and sisters, and nephews and nieces too. He knew everyone’s birthday and, with twelve brothers and sisters that was some great feat! Frankie parlayed his love of family with his love of cooking and he was always visiting different family members just so that he could bring them something good to eat that he lovingly made.
Frankie had a genuine servant heart. If you had a need, Frankie was there in a flash and he’d give you the shirt off his back if that’s what it took to help you. He was an encourager who was great at giving you the words that you needed to carry on. He actually felt a great sense of responsibility for his family and he had no problem challenging you to strive to be the best that you could be.
Frankie is survived by his loving daughter Amaryllis Ortiz of Camden and loving son Francisco, Jr. “Jr.” of Wayne; his dear mother Josefina Garcia of San Lorenzo, Puerto Rico; eleven brothers and sisters: Calixto Ortiz of the Bronx, NY, Sonia Ortiz of the Bronx, NY, Evelyn Ortiz of Puerto Rico, Millie Ortiz of Puerto Rico, Jose Ortiz of Atlanta, GA, Nancy Ortiz of Puerto Rico, Edwin Ortiz of Atlanta, GA, Ivette Ortiz of Puerto Rico, Lourdes Ortiz of Puerto Rico, David Ortiz of Puerto Rico, and William Ortiz of Puerto Rico; his former wife Maria of Wayne; and countless nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his dear father Calixto Ortiz, and his brother John Ortiz.
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