Francisco Chea

Francisco Chea of Orlando, Florida died peacefully on March 16, 2021, at the young age of 93. He lived a life dedicated to his family and meant so much to all who knew him. Francisco was born to Louis and Maria Chea in Nassau, Bahamas on June 23, 1927. He is survived by Mavis, his wife of 61 years; his three children Francis and Mei-ling (Sung) Chea, Maria (Chea) and Steve Thomas, and Alicia (Chea) and Bryan Junga; eight grandchildren Samantha Black, Max Chea, Zak Chea, Andrew Thomas, Jonathan Thomas, Christina Junga, Tristan Junga, and Josef Junga. He was preceded in death by all of his siblings Luis, Charles, George, Joseph, Philip, Edward, and Mary. His early employment was as a service technician in Nassau, repairing and installing electrical wiring and servicing gas and electrical appliances, refrigerators, and air conditioners. Shortly after, he and his brothers Philip, Joseph, and Edward started their own business “Chea’s Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Sales and Service”. Francisco was a United States Army veteran who proudly served with the 101st Airborne Division. He was deployed in the Korean War and awarded the National Defense Medal. After his military service, he attended and graduated from the University of Miami with his degree in Mechanical Engineering. He was a lifelong dedicated Hurricanes football fan. Although he moved to the United States when he was in his 20’s, he always loved island life and fishing. Family vacations always involved either fishing, trips to his native Bahamas, or the beaches. He ensured his children knew how to fish and love the ocean as equally as he did. He worked for the New York Naval Shipyard as a Mechanical/Marine Engineer and was instrumental in the design of Naval Ships including the USS Constellation, USS Annapolis, USS Raleigh, USS Vancouver, USS LaSalle, USS Austin, USS Ogden, USS Duluth, USS Thresher, and the Fleet Rehabilitation and Modernization Program. He transferred to the Naval Training Device/Equipment/Systems Center in Port Washington, NY, and then to Orlando, FL. He was a project engineer in the Visual Simulation, Electronics, Acoustics, and Advanced Simulation Concepts Laboratories of the Research Department. A patent was awarded in 1980 for his Remote Position Plotter. After over 30 years as a service member and civilian engineer, Francisco retired from the Department of Defense, but could never sit still and returned back to work as a heating and ventilation technician. When not working, he enjoyed traveling with his beloved Mavis around the world, including a memorable trip to Canton, China to see where his father grew up. Francisco was a supporter of several charities that help disabled veterans. If you wish to honor him with a donation, please consider the Wounded Warriors Project. https://support.woundedwarriorproject.org/default.aspx?tsid=10043&ovr_acv_id=5246 He was a wonderful spiritual leader to his family, and was a parishioner of St. James Catholic Cathedral since 1965. Rest in peace beloved husband, father, grandfather, father-in-law, and friend. "The man is a success who has lived well, laughed often, and loved much; who has gained the respect of intelligent men and the love of children; who has filled his niche and accomplished his task; who leaves the world better than he found it, whether by an improved poppy, a perfect poem, or a rescued soul; who never lacked appreciation of earth's beauty or failed to express it; who looked for the best in others and gave the best he had." - Robert Louis Stevenson

Francisco Chea

June 23, 1927 - March 16, 2021