Frank Anthony (Tony) Laidler

Frank Anthony (Tony) Laidler was born in Wichita, Texas on April 30, 1942.  He was welcomed by his loving mother Marge and his strong & handsome Dad, Horry Laidler and his two older brothers; Jerry and Bob.  Anyone who grew up in Santa Paula, California, knew them as “the Laidler boys”.  They lost their dad when Frank was just a baby, but with Marge’s love, hard work and sense of humor, the family was able to conquer anything that came their way.  Frank inherited those traits and he passed them on to the next generation.

He lived on South 8th Street in Santa Paula and his good friend Lester Driver, lived close by.  Lester had a sister named Velda Sue, who fell for Frank and they married in 1960 in St. George, Utah and were together for 58 amazing years.  Their sons, Ted and Mark were born in Santa Paula, and spent most of their childhoods in their “hometown”.  Frank adored his life in Santa Paula and loved to tell stories of his childhood.  His enjoyment and infectious laughter made each story a treat, no matter how many times you heard them.

In 1979, the family moved to Orem, Utah.  Utah was a new adventure for 2 kids that hadn’t been away from Santa Paula!  Frank was a great machinist and worked hard to move up the ladder with North American Arms, all the way to Vice President.  He and Sue loved living in Orem and all the friends and memories they made in the Beehive state.  Eventually Frank and Sue earned the newest and most rewarding title of all: “Grandma and Grandpa”.

Frank retired, and at that time he and Sue left Utah, went back to Santa Paula to care for Jewel Driver, Sue’s mom until she passed away in 2002.  Later that same year, Frank lost his brother and best friend, Bob.  While in Santa Paula, Frank started playing pool with friends he had made in Rancho Santa and added that to his daily routine.  In 2013, we relocated to Mesquite, NV.  Frank enjoyed all the activities Sun City had to offer. He enjoyed caring for his hummingbirds, playing pool with his buddies, walking every day and the annual trip to Reno.  One of his biggest joys was watching Sue dance with the Mesquite-Toes and later on for the Recreation Center “The Lifelong Dancers”.  He was always the first to tell them how great they all did.

Frank had lots of loves, including his wife, his family and friends!  He enjoyed hunting with his brother and his boys, fishing with his brothers and his family at Strawberry Reservoir, and traveling with family and friends.  He enjoyed walking down Main St. in Santa Paula, visualizing fun times from long ago, and most of all he loved laughing, and if you ever heard his laugh, you couldn’t help but laugh too!  He left this world a better place because he touched so many!

Frank passed away, June 8, 2018 surrounded by the people that had brought him so much joy.  He is survived by his wife; Sue, sons; Ted (Sandy), Mark (Sherrie), his 5 grandchildren; Britni, Courtney Harvey (Adam), Ben (Afton), Amber Rhoades (Shaun) and Kimmie; and his 4 great-grandkids; Jocelyn, Zayne, Bowie and Ella.  We were all blessed to have been able to be a part of this man’s life and are forever grateful for the love and laughter he shared with us.  No Memorial Service will be held.  Just share your story you remember from your time with Frank (Tony) with a twinkle in your eye and a smile on your face and laugh out loud because you know he would.

The family invites you to leave a message or memory in their guest book at www.virginvalley mortuary.com