Frances Eckel

Frances Eckel was born Felisa Mendoza to parents Feliciano Carlos Mendoza and Buenaventuranza Manuel Mendoza on March 31st, 1930. She passed away peacefully on August 18, 2025 in San Antonio, Texas, surrounded by her loved ones. Frances Eckel was born in Lubao, Pampanga, Philippines. It was here that she married Harold Junior Brightman with whom she moved to the United States and had their four children: Shelley in 1955, Danny in 1957, Glenda in 1958, and Chris in 1959. They lived in Lovington, IL and later moved to Decatur, IL. Frances and Harold separated in 1964. She remarried to Lloyd "Bud" Eckel in 1965. Soon after, they moved to San Antonio, Texas in late1965. She received her United States Naturalization Citizenship in 1977. They separated in 1979. Frances was known by many to be an expert seamstress, homemaker, and gardener. She worked as a telephone operator while in the Philippines, later moving onto work as a seamstress making burial gowns, followed by a position as a food prep cook for hotels. Her children recall Frances enthusiastically planning trips to the coast to go crabbing. Naturally, she loved to eat shrimp, crab legs and lobster. Any time she was asked what she would like to eat for dinner, she would always reply with crab legs, therefore Red Lobster was a great choice for her and her family. Frances was also a fantastic cook, best known for her phenomenal Filipino dishes she learned from her mother, such as rice, pancit, and lumpia. She also liked to barbeque and preferred her hot dogs to be a little burnt. For fun, Frances liked watching WWE Wrestling. She cheered for her "good guys" and booed the ones she didn't like. Frances was also known for her fondness for animals. Caring for animals in need was never a chore for Frances. When she was young, she had a pet pig named Betty that would closely follow behind her. She loved little cats and dogs and would sit petting them as long as they would allow. Frances is also greatly remembered for her ability to make her backyard garden flourish with life. She was an avid gardener who grew flowers, ivy, vines, Chinese plum, trees, and most of all, delicious fresh vegetables. Her garden was a sanctuary: a tranquil place to sit and enjoy the fruits of her labor. She tended to her garden diligently and patiently, a trait of hers that applied to all areas of her life outside her garden's gates. When not in her garden, her love of nature often took her to the park at Woodlawn Lake where she would feed the ducks, sit under the trees and relax. She loved to look at maps from around the world for hours taking in every little detail. If the maps had photos, she would exclaim, "Oh, I never knew it looked like that!" Most of all, Frances is remembered for the unwavering love she had for her family and friends. She cherished receiving letters from friends and family and writing them back. She would reread the letters over and over. She loved all her family and friends with her whole heart and loved spending time with them. When sitting in the company of her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, she would lovingly say, "I made all of this" and gesture to her family. Frances is preceded in death by her parents, Feliciano Carlos Mendoza and Buenaventuranza Manuel Mendoza; and her siblings, Magdalena, Precilla, Gerson, Silvestre, Gualberto, and Rubenita. Grandson Clyde Curran Frances is survived by her daughters, Shelley (Robert) Palacios and Glenda (Donald) Garcia; sons, Danny (Diane) Brightman Sr. and Harold Chris (Stephany) Brightman; brother, Benjamin Mendoza; grandchildren, Jason (Veronica), Misty, Mason, Danny Jr. (Jennifer), Christina (Clyde), Jennifer (Bobby), Donald Jr., Miranda, Bryon (Sarah), Jordan, Emily (Tyler), and Gabby; great grandchildren, Isabell, Jazmine, Abigail, Ben, Destiny, Matty, Scarlett, Kristian, Aidan, Erin(Justin), Ryan(Ashley), Keith, Catalaya, Layth, Jace, Bryon Jr., Ashlynn, Landin, Wyatt, Braxton, Benjamin, and Boaz; and 6 beloved great-great-grandchildren. Services for Frances will be held at Mission Park Funeral Chapels South. Visitation will be held on September 4, 2025, from 5pm to 8pm, with a prayer service to take place at 6pm. Visitation will continue the following day, Friday, September 5th, 2025, at 9am, with the funeral service to begin at 10am. Burial will immediately follow in Mission Burial Park South.