Frank James Menhams

1961-2022

Frank James Menhams was born in Toronto, Canada, January 13th, 1961 and died from heart failure January 7th, 2022 at his home in Fort Bragg, California. Frank was the youngest of five children raised by his Venezuelan mother and Belgian father. His youth was spent in Northern California, moving to the Mount Shasta area in the 1990’s and then coastal Mendocino County in 2010. Frank was a ray of light, a firehose of love, a jovial joker, a compassionate confidant, a lifelong learner, and a true Renaissance man. A natural-born drummer, he had a deep appreciation for all types of music and found joy tapping out rhythms wherever he could. Frank was a connoisseur of life, delighting in both the simple wonders of nature as well as in the finer things life had to offer. He savored every moment, conversation, meal and glass of wine. Frank brought a constant, even-keel and accepting energy to those who knew him well and to those whom he had only met briefly or by chance. Anyone who met Frank felt truly seen by him; he had an uncanny ability to dig in deep, see people for who they were, and inspire them to rise to who they could be. He was an integral part of his community. From Grange Master to Petanque champ, President of the Noyo Food Forest to implementing the Therapeutic Horseback riding program and volunteering at multiple festivals, Frank made himself a part of everyday life on the coast, always bringing people together. With his love of humanity, he focused his life’s energy on working with troubled teens early in his career, and then with autistic youth later in his career. In 2017, he and his wife, Cynthia, opened their own business, OARS (Outreach, Advocacy, Resources and Services), began a nonprofit (Dandelion) a which serve teens and young adults on the autism spectrum. Additionally, he served as a Disability Rights Advocate on the Community Action Committee and worked to educate state legislators. Frank’s dream was to help autistic youth gain more social contacts and interests, enriching their lives in the process. Cynthia continues to carry on this dream with OARS and Dandelion. In his last 6 years, many of Frank’s life dreams were realized. He met and married the love of his life, and became a stepfather. Being a father was a true joy for him, and the bond he and Lena shared was timeless. Frank firmly believed that the best way to honor someone you love is to live with an open heart and to keep loving. He strove to be kind, generous and considerate to all living things. We can keep Frank’s spirit alive as he would have: talking to a stranger, being an observer and lover of nature, picking up garbage and laughing at our own follies. Frank is survived by his loving wife, Cynthia Coupe, stepdaughter, Lena Audo, siblings MariaElena Banks (Dana Point), Olga de Santa Anna (Santa Cruz), Marisela de Santa Anna (Willits) and Juan de Santa Anna (Montana), eight nieces and nephews, eleven great nieces and nephews, innumerable cousins and second cousins, and one surviving aunt (in Belgium). He is deeply missed by all of those who knew him. A memorial will be held April 10th, 1:30 pm at Caspar Community Center. Please RSVP to Marisela: MDSA1955@gmai l.com. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to an organization Frank loved, the Noyo Food Forest or Dandelion (both at Savings Bank)