rancis A. Klosterman, better known as "Frenchy," passed away at the age of 86 on Tuesday, July 12 from pneumonia and complications of Alzheimer's Disease. Frenchy was born the tenth child in a family of 16 children, on December 31, 1924. He was born in Remsen, Iowa to Clement and Winifred Kennedy Klosterman.
The family moved to Southern California when Frenchy was only eleven years old, when depression era times then meant having to move away from the family farm and settle initially in Whittier, and soon after in Compton. Frenchy attended Compton High School and Compton Jr. College prior to WWII. Growing up in a family of 15 children had its challenges, and that created a very tight knit group. Growing up meant all hands on deck to help provide for the brood. Frenchy and his siblings took all sorts of odd jobs. Frenchy once set a record for being the top newspaper delivery boy, and he and his brothers even sold peanuts on street corners. He learned a strong work ethic during these times, a trait that would carry him all his working life.
While at Compton High School he was student body president, and played football, basketball and baseball, and holds as a claim to fame catching teammate Duke Snider's somewhat famous no hitter against Beverly Hills HS. Though Snider more famously played in the outfield for the Brooklyn and L.A. Dodgers and had a long Hall of Fame pro career, he was a powerful pitcher in high school. In the late 90's Frenchy decided to call Snider to reconnect. When he had to leave a message on Snider's phone machine he timidly asked if Snider remembered him, since many decades had past. Snider called back the next day saying "Frenchy, how could I forget you? You caught my no hitter!"
When WWII came Frenchy joined the US Army Air Corp and became one of the most extensively trained flyboys to ever see a B-24 bomber. Two training flight mishaps forced him to jump, not once but twice from burning planes. He trained as a navigator-bombardier and did so well he was made an instructor in a base at Demming, NM, an assignment he performed for 17 months. He took basic training at Wichita Falls, Texas then finished college study at Pullman Washington prior to his navigator-bombardier training, and subsequent training as a qualified aerial gunner at Las Vegas, NV. Even as news of his impending deployment to a combat crew was published in the local papers, the war ended just prior to being shipped out.
After the war he returned home to marry his sweetheart, Betty Mae Orsburn, on December 12, 1945, at Our Lady of Victory Church in Compton. They honeymooned in Laguna Beach. Frenchy worked in the oil fields for a while. They had four loving children, Bob, Jack, Don, and Connie Klosterman-Kozlowski. The couple would have celebrated their 66th wedding anniversary this December.
Frenchy furthered his education, obtaining a degree from Southwestern University. He worked in accounting for Chicken of the Sea Tuna where he was on the team there that developed the company's pirate ship build at Disneyland which for many years sold tuna sandwiches to park guests.
He accepted a business offer in Dallas, Texas that had presented itself, so Frenchy loaded up the entire family and moved to that city in the late 50s. The "sure thing" opportunity didn't develop as planned, so he moved on to an accounting job in Dallas with Collins Radio, the developer of the radio equipment used in the Mercury spacecraft. In 1960 a new professional football league was being started and his brother Don was made the head of scouting for the Dallas Texans, one of the franchises in the fledgling league. The fortuitous event reunited the two brothers in Dallas, and the entire family took great pride in becoming Dallas Texans fans as they watched the team that Don helped build win the '62 AFL Championship. The Texans later became the K.C. Chiefs.
In the mid-60s Frenchy joined his brother Robert's advertising agency as accountant and account manager. The move meant coming back to the greater Los Angeles area and leaving Texas where the family had set down roots. But it was a joyous decision to come back to be with the extensive Klosterman and Orsburn families once again. Frenchy worked in the advertising business for a few years before creating his own successful accounting and business management company where Betty and son Jack worked with him. During this time Frenchy aided many companies through their accounting and tax needs, using his extensive experience to the advantage of his grateful clients.
Frenchy was a devoutly proud Catholic and often encouraged those near to him who were struggling with life's issues to pray to St. Jude, the patron saint of lost causes, even taking the initiative of enrolling them in the St. Jude prayer society. Receiving the unsolicited certificate sent a reinforcing message to know that a higher authority had been called upon to watch over them, and that act of concern helped many a friend get past the struggle.
Frenchy had the personality of a saint, never saying a derogatory word about anyone. He often said "if you point your finger in blame at a person the other four are pointing right back at you." He never met a person he didn't like and who didn't like him. He cherished his neighborhood relationships in the later years of his life while living in his Larchmont/Hancock Park area home where he would walk down the street exchanging handshakes and high fives to many of the neighborhood's regulars. It didn't matter if you sold magazines at the news rack, made sandwiches at the deli, or drank morning coffee at the bagel shop, Frenchy had a unique way to make an upbeat and prized connection with you. Upon leaving an encounter with a friend he was famous for putting up his index finger and a thumb and saying "So long."
Frenchy's large family meant always being surrounded by loving relatives, relationships which he cherished more than anything. His family meant everything to him, and he showed his love in many ways to his family throughout his life, almost to a fault. He is preceded in death by his son Bob (Jane) and is survived by his loving wife Betty, sons Jack (Barbara) and Don (Ronda), and daughter Connie Klosterman-Kozlowski (David), by brothers Jim and Tom, and sisters Shirley Moore, and Jeanne Berberet. He is preceded in death by brothers Ken, Robert, Don and Egbert, and sisters Marian Metzler, Addie Burke, Joi Weber, Lynn Day, Ruthy Higgins, Kay Bundy, and Patti Peters. By grandkids Robert, Sean, Chris, Steven, Nicole Eddins, Cheryl Perkins, Andrew and Christine. And great grandchild Issac. And by hundreds of cousins, 2nd cousins, cherished relatives and friends.
The family moved to Southern California when Frenchy was only eleven years old, when depression era times then meant having to move away from the family farm and settle initially in Whittier, and soon after in Compton. Frenchy attended Compton High School and Compton Jr. College prior to WWII. Growing up in a family of 15 children had its challenges, and that created a very tight knit group. Growing up meant all hands on deck to help provide for the brood. Frenchy and his siblings took all sorts of odd jobs. Frenchy once set a record for being the top newspaper delivery boy, and he and his brothers even sold peanuts on street corners. He learned a strong work ethic during these times, a trait that would carry him all his working life.
While at Compton High School he was student body president, and played football, basketball and baseball, and holds as a claim to fame catching teammate Duke Snider's somewhat famous no hitter against Beverly Hills HS. Though Snider more famously played in the outfield for the Brooklyn and L.A. Dodgers and had a long Hall of Fame pro career, he was a powerful pitcher in high school. In the late 90's Frenchy decided to call Snider to reconnect. When he had to leave a message on Snider's phone machine he timidly asked if Snider remembered him, since many decades had past. Snider called back the next day saying "Frenchy, how could I forget you? You caught my no hitter!"
When WWII came Frenchy joined the US Army Air Corp and became one of the most extensively trained flyboys to ever see a B-24 bomber. Two training flight mishaps forced him to jump, not once but twice from burning planes. He trained as a navigator-bombardier and did so well he was made an instructor in a base at Demming, NM, an assignment he performed for 17 months. He took basic training at Wichita Falls, Texas then finished college study at Pullman Washington prior to his navigator-bombardier training, and subsequent training as a qualified aerial gunner at Las Vegas, NV. Even as news of his impending deployment to a combat crew was published in the local papers, the war ended just prior to being shipped out.
After the war he returned home to marry his sweetheart, Betty Mae Orsburn, on December 12, 1945, at Our Lady of Victory Church in Compton. They honeymooned in Laguna Beach. Frenchy worked in the oil fields for a while. They had four loving children, Bob, Jack, Don, and Connie Klosterman-Kozlowski. The couple would have celebrated their 66th wedding anniversary this December.
Frenchy furthered his education, obtaining a degree from Southwestern University. He worked in accounting for Chicken of the Sea Tuna where he was on the team there that developed the company's pirate ship build at Disneyland which for many years sold tuna sandwiches to park guests.
He accepted a business offer in Dallas, Texas that had presented itself, so Frenchy loaded up the entire family and moved to that city in the late 50s. The "sure thing" opportunity didn't develop as planned, so he moved on to an accounting job in Dallas with Collins Radio, the developer of the radio equipment used in the Mercury spacecraft. In 1960 a new professional football league was being started and his brother Don was made the head of scouting for the Dallas Texans, one of the franchises in the fledgling league. The fortuitous event reunited the two brothers in Dallas, and the entire family took great pride in becoming Dallas Texans fans as they watched the team that Don helped build win the '62 AFL Championship. The Texans later became the K.C. Chiefs.
In the mid-60s Frenchy joined his brother Robert's advertising agency as accountant and account manager. The move meant coming back to the greater Los Angeles area and leaving Texas where the family had set down roots. But it was a joyous decision to come back to be with the extensive Klosterman and Orsburn families once again. Frenchy worked in the advertising business for a few years before creating his own successful accounting and business management company where Betty and son Jack worked with him. During this time Frenchy aided many companies through their accounting and tax needs, using his extensive experience to the advantage of his grateful clients.
Frenchy was a devoutly proud Catholic and often encouraged those near to him who were struggling with life's issues to pray to St. Jude, the patron saint of lost causes, even taking the initiative of enrolling them in the St. Jude prayer society. Receiving the unsolicited certificate sent a reinforcing message to know that a higher authority had been called upon to watch over them, and that act of concern helped many a friend get past the struggle.
Frenchy had the personality of a saint, never saying a derogatory word about anyone. He often said "if you point your finger in blame at a person the other four are pointing right back at you." He never met a person he didn't like and who didn't like him. He cherished his neighborhood relationships in the later years of his life while living in his Larchmont/Hancock Park area home where he would walk down the street exchanging handshakes and high fives to many of the neighborhood's regulars. It didn't matter if you sold magazines at the news rack, made sandwiches at the deli, or drank morning coffee at the bagel shop, Frenchy had a unique way to make an upbeat and prized connection with you. Upon leaving an encounter with a friend he was famous for putting up his index finger and a thumb and saying "So long."
Frenchy's large family meant always being surrounded by loving relatives, relationships which he cherished more than anything. His family meant everything to him, and he showed his love in many ways to his family throughout his life, almost to a fault. He is preceded in death by his son Bob (Jane) and is survived by his loving wife Betty, sons Jack (Barbara) and Don (Ronda), and daughter Connie Klosterman-Kozlowski (David), by brothers Jim and Tom, and sisters Shirley Moore, and Jeanne Berberet. He is preceded in death by brothers Ken, Robert, Don and Egbert, and sisters Marian Metzler, Addie Burke, Joi Weber, Lynn Day, Ruthy Higgins, Kay Bundy, and Patti Peters. By grandkids Robert, Sean, Chris, Steven, Nicole Eddins, Cheryl Perkins, Andrew and Christine. And great grandchild Issac. And by hundreds of cousins, 2nd cousins, cherished relatives and friends.
rancis A. Klosterman, better known as "Frenchy," passed away at the age of 86 on Tuesday, July 12 from pneumonia and complications of Alzheimer's Disease. Frenchy was born the tenth child in a family of 16 children, on December 31, 1924. He was born in Remsen, Iowa to Clement and Winifred Kennedy Klosterman.
The family moved to Southern California when Frenchy was only eleven years old, when depression era times then meant having to move away from the family farm and settle initially in Whittier, and soon after in Compton. Frenchy attended Compton High School and Compton Jr. College prior to WWII. Growing up in a family of 15 children had its challenges, and that created a very tight knit group. Growing up meant all hands on deck to help provide for the brood. Frenchy and his siblings took all sorts of odd jobs. Frenchy once set a record for being the top newspaper delivery boy, and he and his brothers even sold peanuts on street corners. He learned a strong work ethic during these times, a trait that would carry him all his working life.
While at Compton High School he was student body president, and played football, basketball and baseball, and holds as a claim to fame catching teammate Duke Snider's somewhat famous no hitter against Beverly Hills HS. Though Snider more famously played in the outfield for the Brooklyn and L.A. Dodgers and had a long Hall of Fame pro career, he was a powerful pitcher in high school. In the late 90's Frenchy decided to call Snider to reconnect. When he had to leave a message on Snider's phone machine he timidly asked if Snider remembered him, since many decades had past. Snider called back the next day saying "Frenchy, how could I forget you? You caught my no hitter!"
When WWII came Frenchy joined the US Army Air Corp and became one of the most extensively trained flyboys to ever see a B-24 bomber. Two training flight mishaps forced him to jump, not once but twice from burning planes. He trained as a navigator-bombardier and did so well he was made an instructor in a base at Demming, NM, an assignment he performed for 17 months. He took basic training at Wichita Falls, Texas then finished college study at Pullman Washington prior to his navigator-bombardier training, and subsequent training as a qualified aerial gunner at Las Vegas, NV. Even as news of his impending deployment to a combat crew was published in the local papers, the war ended just prior to being shipped out.
After the war he returned home to marry his sweetheart, Betty Mae Orsburn, on December 12, 1945, at Our Lady of Victory Church in Compton. They honeymooned in Laguna Beach. Frenchy worked in the oil fields for a while. They had four loving children, Bob, Jack, Don, and Connie Klosterman-Kozlowski. The couple would have celebrated their 66th wedding anniversary this December.
Frenchy furthered his education, obtaining a degree from Southwestern University. He worked in accounting for Chicken of the Sea Tuna where he was on the team there that developed the company's pirate ship build at Disneyland which for many years sold tuna sandwiches to park guests.
He accepted a business offer in Dallas, Texas that had presented itself, so Frenchy loaded up the entire family and moved to that city in the late 50s. The "sure thing" opportunity didn't develop as planned, so he moved on to an accounting job in Dallas with Collins Radio, the developer of the radio equipment used in the Mercury spacecraft. In 1960 a new professional football league was being started and his brother Don was made the head of scouting for the Dallas Texans, one of the franchises in the fledgling league. The fortuitous event reunited the two brothers in Dallas, and the entire family took great pride in becoming Dallas Texans fans as they watched the team that Don helped build win the '62 AFL Championship. The Texans later became the K.C. Chiefs.
In the mid-60s Frenchy joined his brother Robert's advertising agency as accountant and account manager. The move meant coming back to the greater Los Angeles area and leaving Texas where the family had set down roots. But it was a joyous decision to come back to be with the extensive Klosterman and Orsburn families once again. Frenchy worked in the advertising business for a few years before creating his own successful accounting and business management company where Betty and son Jack worked with him. During this time Frenchy aided many companies through their accounting and tax needs, using his extensive experience to the advantage of his grateful clients.
Frenchy was a devoutly proud Catholic and often encouraged those near to him who were struggling with life's issues to pray to St. Jude, the patron saint of lost causes, even taking the initiative of enrolling them in the St. Jude prayer society. Receiving the unsolicited certificate sent a reinforcing message to know that a higher authority had been called upon to watch over them, and that act of concern helped many a friend get past the struggle.
Frenchy had the personality of a saint, never saying a derogatory word about anyone. He often said "if you point your finger in blame at a person the other four are pointing right back at you." He never met a person he didn't like and who didn't like him. He cherished his neighborhood relationships in the later years of his life while living in his Larchmont/Hancock Park area home where he would walk down the street exchanging handshakes and high fives to many of the neighborhood's regulars. It didn't matter if you sold magazines at the news rack, made sandwiches at the deli, or drank morning coffee at the bagel shop, Frenchy had a unique way to make an upbeat and prized connection with you. Upon leaving an encounter with a friend he was famous for putting up his index finger and a thumb and saying "So long."
Frenchy's large family meant always being surrounded by loving relatives, relationships which he cherished more than anything. His family meant everything to him, and he showed his love in many ways to his family throughout his life, almost to a fault. He is preceded in death by his son Bob (Jane) and is survived by his loving wife Betty, sons Jack (Barbara) and Don (Ronda), and daughter Connie Klosterman-Kozlowski (David), by brothers Jim and Tom, and sisters Shirley Moore, and Jeanne Berberet. He is preceded in death by brothers Ken, Robert, Don and Egbert, and sisters Marian Metzler, Addie Burke, Joi Weber, Lynn Day, Ruthy Higgins, Kay Bundy, and Patti Peters. By grandkids Robert, Sean, Chris, Steven, Nicole Eddins, Cheryl Perkins, Andrew and Christine. And great grandchild Issac. And by hundreds of cousins, 2nd cousins, cherished relatives and friends.
The family moved to Southern California when Frenchy was only eleven years old, when depression era times then meant having to move away from the family farm and settle initially in Whittier, and soon after in Compton. Frenchy attended Compton High School and Compton Jr. College prior to WWII. Growing up in a family of 15 children had its challenges, and that created a very tight knit group. Growing up meant all hands on deck to help provide for the brood. Frenchy and his siblings took all sorts of odd jobs. Frenchy once set a record for being the top newspaper delivery boy, and he and his brothers even sold peanuts on street corners. He learned a strong work ethic during these times, a trait that would carry him all his working life.
While at Compton High School he was student body president, and played football, basketball and baseball, and holds as a claim to fame catching teammate Duke Snider's somewhat famous no hitter against Beverly Hills HS. Though Snider more famously played in the outfield for the Brooklyn and L.A. Dodgers and had a long Hall of Fame pro career, he was a powerful pitcher in high school. In the late 90's Frenchy decided to call Snider to reconnect. When he had to leave a message on Snider's phone machine he timidly asked if Snider remembered him, since many decades had past. Snider called back the next day saying "Frenchy, how could I forget you? You caught my no hitter!"
When WWII came Frenchy joined the US Army Air Corp and became one of the most extensively trained flyboys to ever see a B-24 bomber. Two training flight mishaps forced him to jump, not once but twice from burning planes. He trained as a navigator-bombardier and did so well he was made an instructor in a base at Demming, NM, an assignment he performed for 17 months. He took basic training at Wichita Falls, Texas then finished college study at Pullman Washington prior to his navigator-bombardier training, and subsequent training as a qualified aerial gunner at Las Vegas, NV. Even as news of his impending deployment to a combat crew was published in the local papers, the war ended just prior to being shipped out.
After the war he returned home to marry his sweetheart, Betty Mae Orsburn, on December 12, 1945, at Our Lady of Victory Church in Compton. They honeymooned in Laguna Beach. Frenchy worked in the oil fields for a while. They had four loving children, Bob, Jack, Don, and Connie Klosterman-Kozlowski. The couple would have celebrated their 66th wedding anniversary this December.
Frenchy furthered his education, obtaining a degree from Southwestern University. He worked in accounting for Chicken of the Sea Tuna where he was on the team there that developed the company's pirate ship build at Disneyland which for many years sold tuna sandwiches to park guests.
He accepted a business offer in Dallas, Texas that had presented itself, so Frenchy loaded up the entire family and moved to that city in the late 50s. The "sure thing" opportunity didn't develop as planned, so he moved on to an accounting job in Dallas with Collins Radio, the developer of the radio equipment used in the Mercury spacecraft. In 1960 a new professional football league was being started and his brother Don was made the head of scouting for the Dallas Texans, one of the franchises in the fledgling league. The fortuitous event reunited the two brothers in Dallas, and the entire family took great pride in becoming Dallas Texans fans as they watched the team that Don helped build win the '62 AFL Championship. The Texans later became the K.C. Chiefs.
In the mid-60s Frenchy joined his brother Robert's advertising agency as accountant and account manager. The move meant coming back to the greater Los Angeles area and leaving Texas where the family had set down roots. But it was a joyous decision to come back to be with the extensive Klosterman and Orsburn families once again. Frenchy worked in the advertising business for a few years before creating his own successful accounting and business management company where Betty and son Jack worked with him. During this time Frenchy aided many companies through their accounting and tax needs, using his extensive experience to the advantage of his grateful clients.
Frenchy was a devoutly proud Catholic and often encouraged those near to him who were struggling with life's issues to pray to St. Jude, the patron saint of lost causes, even taking the initiative of enrolling them in the St. Jude prayer society. Receiving the unsolicited certificate sent a reinforcing message to know that a higher authority had been called upon to watch over them, and that act of concern helped many a friend get past the struggle.
Frenchy had the personality of a saint, never saying a derogatory word about anyone. He often said "if you point your finger in blame at a person the other four are pointing right back at you." He never met a person he didn't like and who didn't like him. He cherished his neighborhood relationships in the later years of his life while living in his Larchmont/Hancock Park area home where he would walk down the street exchanging handshakes and high fives to many of the neighborhood's regulars. It didn't matter if you sold magazines at the news rack, made sandwiches at the deli, or drank morning coffee at the bagel shop, Frenchy had a unique way to make an upbeat and prized connection with you. Upon leaving an encounter with a friend he was famous for putting up his index finger and a thumb and saying "So long."
Frenchy's large family meant always being surrounded by loving relatives, relationships which he cherished more than anything. His family meant everything to him, and he showed his love in many ways to his family throughout his life, almost to a fault. He is preceded in death by his son Bob (Jane) and is survived by his loving wife Betty, sons Jack (Barbara) and Don (Ronda), and daughter Connie Klosterman-Kozlowski (David), by brothers Jim and Tom, and sisters Shirley Moore, and Jeanne Berberet. He is preceded in death by brothers Ken, Robert, Don and Egbert, and sisters Marian Metzler, Addie Burke, Joi Weber, Lynn Day, Ruthy Higgins, Kay Bundy, and Patti Peters. By grandkids Robert, Sean, Chris, Steven, Nicole Eddins, Cheryl Perkins, Andrew and Christine. And great grandchild Issac. And by hundreds of cousins, 2nd cousins, cherished relatives and friends.
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