Frank Mathew Kelemen Jr passed away on December 5, 2024, at the age of 82.  He was born in Galveston, Texas on November 14, 1942, to Frank Mathew Kelemen Sr. and Rozella Kelemen of Hitchcock, Texas.

Frank grew up in Hitchcock, Texas and graduated from Hitchcock High School in 1960.  It is there that he met the love of his life, Wanda.

In 1961 Frank enlisted in the United States Air Force. Frank and Wanda were married on December 2, 1961 at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church in Hitchcock, Texas.

Frank served honorably for 4 years with the USAF and was discharged in 1965.  It was then that Frank and Wanda returned home to Hitchcock to continue their life together.  Frank began his 35-year plus career with Monsanto, Chocolate Bayou (later Solutia).

Frank started what was to become a lifelong passion of his – coaching youth sports.  He started coaching little league football.  His teams went on to win several championships, and he was well respected and loved by the parents and players.

In 1975, the family moved to Alvin, Texas, where Frank and Wanda spent most of their years together.  Frank loved coaching the boys but with his girls growing up, he decided it was time to hang up the football cleats and buy some bats and balls.  He started coaching softball with Alvin Girls Softball and was a pioneer in the establishment of the  Houston Independent Teams (HIT) in 1978 and formed the Alvin Silver Streaks.

For 12 years, Frank led the Silver Streaks to several state championships as well as numerous regional and national tournaments.  Regardless of the wins and losses, Frank was most proud of his daughters and the countless young women that he coached who he loved with all his heart.  His passion was teaching the ladies how to be leaders and to work together as a team to reach their goals.  He taught them all how to be strong, independent women and how to work hard to pursue their dreams.  He considered all his players a part of his family and was so proud of them, especially the countless young women that went on to have very distinguished college careers.

Following his retirement from Monsanto, Frank (and Wanda) decided that staying at home doing nothing was not for him.  He took a job with Alvin Independent School District as a substitute teacher and later became a teacher’s aide for at risk students and then transferred to the technology department.  He then worked part-time for a few years at SWS in the inventory/warehouse department.

Frank loved spending time with his family.  He enjoyed traveling and took countless vacations and camping trips with them.  He could never turn down any game whether it was cards, dominos, or a quick trip to Las Vegas or Lake Charles to play a little blackjack.

He was well known for his Donald Duck imitation, his cheerful demeanor in the morning (often making up songs as he was cooking breakfast), and always being the first one on and the last one off the dance floor.  He never met a stranger that he couldn’t talk to, especially if it involved Houston Oiler football and Houston Astros baseball (and the horrible umpires and coaches) for hours on end.

In 2018, Frank and Wanda decided to officially retire and moved to Pipe Creek, Texas, to live with their daughter Denise and son-in-law, Travis Perry.  Frank loved his garden and welcomed the opportunity to spend more time outdoors.  It was during this time that it became evident that Frank’s memory was fading, and the family was faced with the reality of Alzheimer’s.

Frank and Wanda moved back to Manvel, Texas, in February of 2020, where they spent the last four years together until his death on December 5, 2024.

Frank is preceded in death by his beloved parents, Frank and Rozella Kelemen, his in-laws, Thelma and Andrew Starr, his son-in-law, David Fortin, his brothers-in-law, Andrew Gerald Starr, Joe Jackson, Jerome Russo, and Carroll Moses, as well as his niece, Heather Russo.  He is survived by his loving wife, Wanda Starr Kelemen, his daughters Laura Fortin Schwing and her husband Lloyd, Sheri Thompson and her husband Ed, Denise Perry and her husband Travis, his sisters Frances Russo and Sandra Elman and her husband Marty, his sisters-in law Sharon Jackson and Loretta Moses, his grandchildren Michael Fortin and his partner Kristin Marceaux, Nicole Fortin and her fiancé Raymond Herrera, Jordan Thomas and her fiancé Andrew Perrodin, Bree Perry, Wendi Cartwright, Cade and Jordan Thompson, seven great-grandchildren, as well as countless nieces and nephews who all loved him dearly.

The family wishes to thank the caregivers at Light Heart Memory Care for the love and care they provided for Frank.  They truly loved him and treated his family as one of their own.

In lieu of flowers, the family wishes that donations be made to St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Alvin, Texas.

In his honor a visitation will be held Sunday, December 8, 2024 from 6:00 – 8:00pm followed by a rosary at 8:00pm in the Crowder Funeral Home Chapel, Dickinson, Texas. A funeral service will follow on Monday, December 9, 2024 at 2:00pm in the Crowder Funeral Home Chapel, Dickinson.