Since 1947, the ballroom has served as a gathering place for local Hispanic families. He retired in 2007 from the city of Tucson, where he worked as a painter for many years.įrank became the president of the Latin American Social Club in 1993 and was instrumental in rebuilding Tucson’s historic El Casino Ballroom after a windstorm destroyed its roof in 1991.

He graduated from Tucson High School in 1963. 16, 1944, in Tiger, Arizona, but was raised in the historic Barrio Hollywood neighborhood on Tucson’s west side. “Helping people was a big part of who he was.”įrank was born Dec. “I think it was just in his blood,” said Sylvia Amparano, his wife.

“It’s just unreal.”Īs they mourn the loss of their loved one, Frank’s family reflected on the legacy he built in the Tucson community. “To see him here one day, he’s happy and drinking beer, and then a month later he’s gone,” said Vicente Amparano, Frank’s older brother. He died from COVID-19 related complications Dec.

He never backed down to anything, no matter how big the challenge was.”īut on Thanksgiving Day, Frank was admitted to the hospital for severe shortness of breath. “They would say ‘What do we do, coach?’ He just had that way and that’s why we followed him. “He steered the ship for everybody,” said Fred Martinez, manager of the El Casino Ballroom and one of Frank’s best friends.

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