Capt. Francis "Frank" M. Selph, USAF, Ret.

Captain (retired) Francis “Frank” M. Selph, aged 78 years, died January 9, 2020 in Albuquerque, NM in the company of close members of his family.  He was born June 26, 1941 in Taos, NM to Frank and Cora (Vallejos) Selph, who preceded him in death and in Christ’s promise of salvation.  Francis was deeply loved and respected, and will be greatly missed by all who knew him. 

Capt. Selph is survived by his wife, Marie Faye Selph of Albuquerque, NM; as well as his ex-wife, Natasha Selph of Alamogordo, NM and their four children, Andrew and wife Shawna of Albuquerque, NM, Daniel and wife Cindy of Rio Rancho, NM, Timothy and wife Amy of El Paso, TX, and Angela and husband Brian of Denton, TX.  He has 11 grandchildren, Amelia, Kyrie, Robert, Sarah, Benjamin, Katherine, and David Selph; Rebecca Selph Rowell (Patrick); and Skyler, Jaylin and Nina Flanigan.  Francis is also survived by brother Iley and wife Patricia Selph of Casa Grande, AZ; and sister Vioma and husband Alfonso Trujillo of Santa Fe, NM.

Francis set the example for his family in service to nation, achievement, and education.  As a teenager, he traveled to Holy Trinity, Alabama to attend St. Joseph’s Preparatory Seminary.  He graduated from Santa Fe High School in 1959, and enlisted in the USAF.  Early assignments included locations in the USA as well as Madrid, Spain.  Francis completed a BS at the University of Arizona in 1968 and accepted a commission in the USAF.  Graduating from Officer Training School in 1968, he was selected to serve with the USAF Strategic Air Command as a Minuteman missile crewmember and later missile crew commander. Concurrently, he earned an MBA degree from the University of North Dakota.  After a tour in Korea with USAF Tactical Air Command, he retired at Holloman AFB, NM in 1979.

Francis’s life included a second career as an attorney, beginning with graduation from the University Of New Mexico School Of Law in 1982.  He practiced law with the Otero County District Attorney’s office as well as in private practice in Alamogordo, Taos, and Raton until his retirement in 2001.

Francis’ achievements are numerous and he always found himself taking on leadership roles – organizing youth sports leagues, leading parent teacher organizations, and mentoring young people for example.  He was active in the Civil Air Patrol as a cadet and senior member; and was a member of the Knights of Columbus, serving as Fourth Degree Grand Knight and Faithful Navigator.  Francis was a long-time member of the Rio Costilla Cooperative Livestock Association and served as its president.

A public viewing and rosary will be held on January 23rd beginning at 5pm at Berardinelli’s Funeral Home in Santa Fe.  Services on January 24th will be at St. Anne’s Catholic Church in Santa Fe with a viewing prior to Chaplet at 9am and Mass at 9:30. Francis will be interred at the Santa Fe National Cemetery with military honors at 11:15am.

In lieu of flowers please donate in Francis' name to either the Disabled American Veterans or Wounded Warrior Project:

https://secure.dav.org/site/Donation2;jsessionid=00000000.app353a?df_id=17407&17407.donation=form1&mfc_pref=T&NONCE_TOKEN=2BED9CDC58772112DC6394904AE8BF8C

https://support.woundedwarriorproject.org/default.aspx?tsid=10043&ovr_acv_id=5246

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