Friday, March 6, 2020
I am Frank Santos III. My Dad Frank and Uncle Mel had a special bond that stood the test of time and in spite of the distance from New Jersey to California Mel was very close to our family. He was one of the most genuine, authentic men I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. He lived life in the way that we all should, in the moment. In this day of people being increasingly afraid to speak their mind for fear of what will be said, or how they will be perceived, Mel was fearless! He was a kind man, but a man who would not mince words, or shy away from speaking his mind. Things that in today's over filtered, censored, PC world, are sometimes misconstrued as harsh, or rude or even inappropriate. For me, it was Mel being a man----THE MAN! He was one of a kind and I will miss him dearly. The trips he made to California and the times we shared at my parents home, out at the track, or just chilling having a few choice beverages, he knew how to lighten the mood and had a story for almost every occasion. One of my favorite stories of my Uncle Mel was when he come into town for my Grandma Anna's funeral. As my father already mentioned, he was a rock in the storm of that very sad time. One night we went to a bar where he challenged a " regular" to a game of pool. The bar was very rough and full of men who looked like they just got paroled. Mel was about to lose the game of pool to the local who happened to wearing an eye patch over one of his eyes. As he was about to hit the 8 ball shot uncle Mel said, " don't miss you one eyed B----! The guy missed the shot! We thought we were in for a fist fight for sure, until the guy who missed the shot after pausing for 20 seconds moved the eye patch from his covered eye to reveal he was not impaired and in fact could see through the eye patch. Mel knew he was a hustler and afterwards ran the table and won the game! This I believe encompasses who Uncle Mel was. He had guts, humor and a 6th sense that made him truly special. Rest In Peace Uncle!
Frank Santos III
