Frank Henry Vejil

Frank Henry Vejil

October 19, 1952 – August 17, 2026

Frank Henry Vejil, known as Frank to the many friends and coworkers who shared his life and affectionately as Frankie to his immediate family, passed away on August 17, 2026, at 10:18 a.m. He was 73 years old.

Frank was born in El Paso, Texas, to Enrique "Henry" Vejil and Mary Frances Dutchover Barchenger. He grew up in El Paso alongside his four sisters: his twin sister, Ida; Sandra (Sandy); Dolores (Dodie); and Brenda. Both of his parents would later remarry, but El Paso remained home throughout Frank's formative years and forever remained part of who he was.

He attended Ysleta High School, where he completed his high school education and developed a pride in his alma mater that stayed with him throughout his life. No matter how many years passed, the sentiment remained familiar and fitting: "Once an Indian always an Indian."

As a young man, Frank began what would become one of the defining chapters of his life: his career with El Paso Electric Company (EPE). He first worked for the company in the early 1970s, then left to pursue another opportunity for a few years before eventually returning to the El Paso area and rejoining EPE, with August 11, 1975 marking his official start date. He would spend most of his working life there, building a career that spanned decades and ultimately serving as a Supervisor of Distribution before retiring in November 2023.

The significance of those years could never be measured by a job title or length of service alone.

EPE gave Frank some of the closest friends he would ever have. It was there that he met Danny Sanchez, Paul Elorreaga, Chuy Perea, and Frank Tapia. What began as friendships among coworkers became bonds that lasted for decades, surviving job changes, growing families, retirement, and the passage of time. Even after they no longer saw one another at work, the group continued getting together for lunch once a month. For a man who placed such great value on loyalty, it seems only appropriate that some of the friendships he formed as a young man remained part of his life until the end.

El Paso Electric also brought someone else into Frank's life. It was there that he met Virginia. Frank and Virginia married on October 29, 1983, beginning a marriage that would span nearly 43 years. Together, they built a home and a family, navigated careers and retirement, celebrated life's victories, endured its challenges, and eventually became grandparents and great-grandparents.

Frank was the father of Jackie Lynn Fowler and Jeannie Lea Vejil from his previous marriage and Christopher Frank Vejil with Virginia. He was a proud grandfather to Sarena, Shaylee, Chevy, Jolea, and Jaylen, and through Sarena, had the joy of becoming a great-grandfather to two great-grandchildren.

For all the years Frank spent working and providing for his family, some of the best descriptions of the man himself can be found in the ordinary things he enjoyed. Anyone familiar with Frank's home knew that his lawn was a source of considerable pride. Frank loved working in the yard and was perpetually determined to have the greenest grass around. A healthy lawn was not something to be left to chance. It required attention, work, and probably considerably more thought than most people would ever devote to grass. He enjoyed caring for his yard and took genuine satisfaction in seeing the results of his effort. That attention to detail was hardly limited to the outdoors.

Frank had an exceptional mind for numbers and a remarkable ability to remember them. Perhaps nothing demonstrated that better than his cellphone. Frank did not have contacts saved in his phone. He didn't need them. While everyone else became accustomed to tapping a name on a screen, Frank simply knew the number. Family, friends, and the people he regularly called were committed to memory. He was, quite literally, a human speed dial.

That numerical precision even made its way into one of Frank's favorite annual traditions: preparing the family's supply of New Mexico chile. Frank loved Hatch, New Mexico green and red chile, and each year he would go directly to the farm to purchase sacks of fresh chile. He made sure there was a variety—mild, medium, hot, extra hot, extra-extra hot, and jalapeño—because in Frank’s mind, no meal was complete without the right chile, and there was no reason not to have every option ready. After the chile was roasted, Frank would bring the sacks home and spread everything out on picnic or folding tables to cool. Once the chile was ready, he would begin preparing it for the freezer. And Frank did not simply toss some chile into a bag and call it good. He counted them. Exactly 10 to 14 chiles went into each freezer bag, depending on the size of the actual chiles. Every bag. By the time he was finished, the freezer held a carefully prepared assortment ready for whatever meal came next. It was practical, meticulous, deeply New Mexican, and completely Frank.

Mexican food was naturally his favorite, although choosing a clear winner between enchiladas, tacos, and quesadillas remained something of a contest.

Frank also enjoyed a cold Coors beer, country music, and sports, standing by his favorite teams through the highs, the lows, and everything in between. He was a staunch Dallas Cowboys fan, remaining faithful through the great seasons, the frustrating ones, and all the seasons that inevitably ended with the promise that next year might finally be the year. When the opportunity presented itself, there was always the familiar question: "How bout them Cowboys?"

Baseball held a special place for him as well, particularly the New York Yankees, which gave Frank another opportunity for a familiar bit of wordplay as he enjoyed "Spreading the news."

His sports loyalties also included the Chicago Bulls and San Antonio Spurs over the years.

Country music provided much of the soundtrack along the way, and one of Frank's more recent favorites was Cody Johnson's "Til You Can't." In retrospect, there is something especially meaningful about a song centered on not waiting to do the things that matter, even if at the time Frank simply knew it as a song he loved.

Those closest to Frank knew that he could be funny and quirky, protective of his family, and extraordinarily hardworking. They also knew that he could be stubborn. Very stubborn. But the stubbornness that occasionally tested the patience of those around him was closely tied to one of his greatest strengths: determination. Once Frank truly made up his mind about something, changing it was difficult. More importantly, once he decided something needed to be done, he could summon an extraordinary amount of resolve to do it.

After smoking for much of his life, Frank decided on March 3, 2023, that he was finished. He quit cold turkey. After so many years, it was an accomplishment of which he was tremendously proud. There was no gradual winding down or endless promise that he would eventually get around to it. Frank decided he was done, and he was done. It was quintessentially Frankie.

That same determination had carried him through decades of work, the responsibilities of providing for a family, life's inevitable difficulties, and the countless challenges that accumulate over nearly 74 years.

To his son Christopher, that example became one of his father's greatest lessons. Frank taught him perseverance and determination, not simply through advice, but through the way he lived his life. Work hard. Keep going. Take responsibility for what has been entrusted to you. Stand by the people who matter. Be proud of what you build. And when life becomes difficult, don't allow difficulty alone to decide what happens next. Underlying it all were values Frank carried throughout his life: integrity, loyalty, and honor.

His loyalty was evident in friendships maintained over decades. His work ethic was reflected in a career that occupied most of his adult life. His determination was exemplified in the decisions he made and followed through on. His pride could be found in his family, his career, his home, and yes, even in the condition of his grass and a freezer filled with carefully counted bags of chile.

Frank's final months brought circumstances that neither he nor his family could have anticipated. After facing a series of health concerns, his condition progressed rapidly, bringing an unexpectedly short final chapter to a much longer and deeply meaningful story. Yet those final months could never define a life shaped by nearly 74 years of family, friendship, hard work, loyalty, and love. Frank's story is, above all, that of a devoted husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, brother, friend, coworker, and provider.

Frank was preceded in death by his parents, Enrique "Henry" Vejil and Mary Frances Dutchover Barchenger; his twin sister, Ida; and his sister Sandra (Sandy).

He is survived by his wife, Virginia; his children, Jackie Lynn Fowler, Jeannie Lea Vejil, and Christopher Frank Vejil; his sisters, Dolores (Dodie) and Brenda; his grandchildren, Sarena, Shaylee, Chevy, Jolea, and Jaylen; two great-grandchildren; his lifelong friends; and the extended family, former coworkers, and many others fortunate enough to have known him.

In accordance with Frank's final wishes, he was cremated, with arrangements carried out by Getz Funeral Home in Las Cruces, New Mexico. His family will honor and celebrate his life with a private Funeral Mass at St. Justin Martyr Parish in Houston, Texas.