Frank Costa Sr. passed peacefully on December 21, 2022, from Parkinson's Disease (PD) and PD dementia. The youngest of seven children, Frank was born to Manuel V. and Marie Costa at the Sperber Sanitarium in Lompoc.

After his mother passed when Frank was three, his father raised his five surviving children on the family ranch with help from neighbors Josephine Silveira and Angeline Vieira. Frank and his father were close and Frank went on to share a similar relationship with his three children.

Spending most of his life on the family ranch, Frank attended the Santa Rosa one-room schoolhouse as well as schools in Los Alamos and Lompoc. He learned to weld at Lompoc High School where he also excelled in getting into mischief. Following a school bus wreck when he was 14, he went back on the bus to make sure everyone was off the bus. He found his future wife, Katherine Domingos under the seat with a piece of glass in her forehead. Ten years later they were married at Old Mission Santa Ines. They resided at the ranch with Frank's father where they raised their three children.

Frank created lasting memories for his children and grandchildren from special holiday traditions to making pancakes to supporting their Campfire, 4-H and FFA projects, attending concerts, parades and hosting Lompoc High School band picnics at the ranch. Raised on a dairy, he continued to milk a cow so his children would have fresh milk, whipped cream and homemade ice cream.

He served his country in the U.S. Army during the Korean Conflict earning a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star.

Frank worked in the ranching business for both H. D. "Duck" Hall and Eskild Skytt before joining his brother, George at Eckert's Electric as a welder during the early days of Vandenberg Air Force Base. During his long career at Eckert's, he worked at Vandenberg as well as at tracking stations in Greenland, Guam and Hawaii.

When Katie became involved in decorative painting, he supported her wholeheartedly.

Together, they traveled to painting conventions across the United States. Later he accompanied her to her evening classes so she wouldn't be driving home alone. He is remembered fondly by her former students.

Frank enjoyed the ranch life – hunting, fishing, building things, the livestock and riding his quad.

He was a member of the Grange, Lompoc Pentecostal Association, a 60-year member of the IBEW and a life member of Lompoc Elks Lodge BPOE 2274.

Frank is predeceased by his wife of 68 years, Katie; his daughter, Mary Anne, his parents and siblings – Marie, Manuel, Frank V., George, Louis and Evelyn. He is survived by his children - Kathi (George) Downey, Frank (Kim) Costa Jr., son-in-law Charles Rios, grandchildren Shelby Walter (Mike), Kasi (Timm) Maguire, Charlie Rios, Kylin (Taylor) Bray, Paige Rios and great granddaughter Mylah Bray, sisters-in-law Dorothy Avila, May Costa, Haroldine Domingos and Jerrie Domingos, numerous nieces and nephews and the Hwy 246 Family of Friends.

A Funeral Mass will be held at La Purisima Concepcion Catholic Church at 10 am on Thursday, January 12, 2023.

Contributions may be made in his honor to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research, at https:// www.michaeljfox.org/donate.