Francisco Osvaldo Fernandez
Francisco Osvaldo Fernandez entered into rest on Friday, March 31st, 2023. Frank was the loving and devoted husband of Lilian Ruth Castellani and beloved father of Gonzalo (Anne), Diego (Jeanne) and Frankie (Erica), and and the loving Abuelo to Lola, Ella, Cece, Sophia, Jack, Rose, Izzy and Addy. He was much loved by his sister-in-law, Mabel “Coca” Castellani, his two nephews Espartago “Tago” DePietro and Damian DePietro together with his wife Sol and their son Sebastian. He also leaves behind an older brother Ramon “Guicho” Fernandez, a younger sister Liliana Fernandez and two much beloved nieces Laura and Adriana.
Frank was born in Mendoza, Argentina in 1934 to Francisco “Paco” and Dina Fernandez immigrants from Spain and Italy. He was raised in Mendoza and attended high school at the Liceo Militar where he was an accomplished gymnast and earned the ironic nickname of “Gordo”, a name he managed to grow into later in life. He then graduated from medical school at the Universidad Nacional de Cuyo in Mendoza. In 1962 he married his childhood sweetheart and the love of his life Lilian Castellani. In 1964 they made the difficult decision to leave behind their beloved family and friends and moved across the globe to the United States where he completed his residency and fellowship in Urology and eventually settled in St. Louis to raise their three sons. Frank was a skilled and respected surgeon, a loyal and generous friend, whose pool and wine cellar were always open to friends, and a loving and caring father and Abuelo to his grandchildren who were the light of his life and brought him immense joy. In the later years of his life he became the caretaker of his wife Lilian and devoted himself selflessly to her well-being. Frank was a lover of the wines of his homeland, a good novel and large shaggy dogs and will be missed deeply by his family and friends.
Services: A Funeral Mass will be held on Friday, June 9 at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church, 7148 Forsyth Blvd., 63105 at 10:00 a.m. Interment St. Peter Cemetery-Kirkwood. A Celebration of Life will follow. In lieu of flowers a donation may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association.
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