Frances Gomez memorial (by her family and friends)

Frances Gomez (1929-1999)
Mrs. Gomez was instrumental in establishing the Chicano C4 Program at Oakland Community College. The program provided full scholarships to Hispanic students at a time when services for Hispanics were few, and by its end, 250 students successfully participated.
Mrs. Gomez once said demands were unnecessary and believed in opening doors by ‘talking softly.’ Her soft-spoken efforts led her to co-found Pontiac’s Latin Affairs Office, La Amistad Senior Citizen Center and the Association of Chicanos for College Admission. And enriched with her membership were countless organizations, including the Pontiac General Business Authority, Michigan Bilingual Educational Task Force, Father Pop’s Clinic, the Bilingual Education Advisory Board, and the Saint Joseph Catholic Church Parish Council.
Mrs. Gomez came to Pontiac with her family in 1941 from her native Waco, Texas. She was married to Leon Gomez for 47 years at the time of her passing, and was mother of four children, seven grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.
“She was a trailblazer”, said her daughter Christina. “There’s no one to take her place within the community and family – she’s irreplaceable.” Her daughter Yolanda said her mother hoped to inspire people from backgrounds like hers to achieve similar success.
To keep her memory alive and honor her commitment to higher education, her children established the Frances Gomez Annual Scholarship.