Francisco Donis

Dr. Francisco J. Donis, died Monday April 24, 2023, in Brooklyn, New York. Frank, as most people knew
him, was born May 11, 1949 in Guatemala. In 1968, as a young adult, Frank migrated to the United
States to discover the streets were not paved of gold. He immediately wanted to return to Guatemala
but Frank's determination kept him in the US. He was able to get a job as a night janitor at a local
university and it was there that he realized, as a minority, education would be his equalizer. He began to
study English and worked on getting his High School Diploma.
Once Frank started his education he didn't stop until he earned his Ph.D. in Experimental/Comparative
Psychology from Brooklyn College. Later, working at Central Connecticut State University (CCSU) he
established a laboratory which gave his students an opportunity to participate in visual pattern
recognition experiments with pigeons. As a founder of CCSU's Latin American Association, Chair of the
Psychology Department, running a summer program for first generation Latino college students, and
many other projects that enriched the lives of the Latino and CCSU communities, he gave his working
life to his passion of education. In 2008 he had the great honor of receiving The Latino Citizen of the
Year award from the state of Connecticut.
Frank retired in 2012 due to a diagnosis of Parkinson's Disease and returned to live in his paradise of
Guatemala. He loved to tell people he lived in the rainforest of Guatemala, which was very true! He
loved to fish in the lake, drive his boat, listen to the birds, and watch the monkeys. He never stopped
reading the New York Times and enjoyed analyzing and talking politics.
Frank is survived by his wife, Pamela Donis and stepson Aaron, his former wife Judith and their children,
Jezabel Donis Bustos, Sean Alexander Donis, stepdaughter Karina Zelada and their respective families.
He is also survived by his sister Ana Maria, and his brothers, Emmanuel, Eddy, and Carlos, and many
nieces and nephews.