frank shankwitz father alive frank shankwitz father alive

Ages two to five were just very happy years living with my grandparents, while my dad worked down on weekends, aunts, uncles, cousins, just a lot of fun times. [4] My Philosophy on Significance and Leaving Your Mark, [5] Twitter: https://twitter.com/GregReid Website: http://www.gregreid.com/. I have another close friend named David Stanley. Im Chitra Ragavan, and this is When It Mattered. Published by The Republican on Jan. 25, 2021. I was overwhelmed by the generosity of complete strangers in supporting this little boy. Chitra Ragavan: Why do you think he took such an interest in your life? I am so grateful that my life path crossed with Franks, so I can share with you an amazing, inspiring and uplifting story about the man who was destined to become the Wishman. Frank Shankwitz: Yes, and going back a little bit, he became the first and only honorary highway patrol motorcycle officer in that time in the history of the highway patrol, complete with a custom-made uniform we had made for him, his own badge and especially his motorcycle wings. Yeah, and we stay in touch, and when we had the premiere in Hollywood of the movie, I made sure that she was the one of the special guests and introduced her up to the stage in our Q&A following the screening, and the crowd just went wild. Frank Shankwitz: Not at all. Chitra Ragavan: Thats wonderful. This is what inspired Shankwitz's idea to start a non-profit foundation that would let children "make-a-wish" and have it come true.[9]. What was that like? Frank Shankwitz, the co-founder of the Make-A-Wish charity and a former Arizona state trooper, has died. For the first time, youre going to have six extra dollars in your pocket, but he also said, and this is the lesson that stayed forever, Always learn to turn the negative to the positive.. Frank was the creator and co-founder of the Make-A-Wish Foundation (1943-2021) Frank Shankwitz. I mean, it was warm. If my life hadnt been what it is, maybe none of this would ever happen, and especially learning how to take care of myself. Frank Shankwitz: Oh, definitely, definitely, and one of the things, like even high school, when Im moved from eighth grade going up to, now, this town of Prescott, a little bit bigger, a different school system, and they wanted to put me back into eighth grade because of my math skills. The poor people are helping us, and he said, You dont have to have money to give back, and this is the biggest lesson. When she turned 17, she went into total remission, and the New Mexico chapter said, You still got your wish. Shankwitz was the organizations first president and CEO. Im watching other people what to do. His partner could not revive Shankwitz who had suffered grievous injuries and reported him dead at the scene. Chitra Ragavan: What about your dad and Juan? DIY Picnic Pinatas. They developed a 10-man team, gave us some of the most significant, magnificent training youd ever see, college courses, everything, and, the average patrolman, he can investigate a fatal accident, but it will take him several weeks to put this together. In fact, his grave marker reads, Chris Grecious. Frank Shankwitz, an Arizona Highway Patrol officer who, after helping a terminally ill boy realize his dream of becoming a motorcycle cop, co-founded the Make-a-Wish Foundation and served as its first president, died on Jan. 24 at his home in Prescott, Ariz. Frank Shankwitz, an Arizona Highway Patrol officer who, after helping a terminally ill boy realize his dream of becoming a motorcycle cop, co-founded the Make-a-Wish Foundation and served as. The cause of death was esophageal cancer, his wife told The New York Times. Hey, Jon. It was great. My speaking then led to a publishing company contacting me saying we need to write a book about my life. He was previously married to Kitty and Sue Darrah. Im watching a man. He remained an active duty state trooper until 1996. In 1978, Frank Shankwitz was involved in a near fatal car accident where he was pronounced dead on the scene. Frank Shankwitz recently retired after 41 years of honorable service with the Arizona Department of Public Safety. It tells the story of Shankwitz, his life and the Make A Wish Foundation's founding. She said, I cant afford you anymore. Boy, thats going be a long answer. Franks passing has created a loss in our lives that will take time to heal, his family said in a statement on his Facebook page. Find an Obituary . S'mores Ice Cream Sandwiches. Frank Shankwitz: Now, Seligman, Arizona, again, this little town of 500, hasnt grown much since, and this is in 1953 now, 500 people, predominantly Mexican, Indian. Shankwitz mastered the . Chitra Ragavan: Thats when you met somebody who would turn out to have an incredible influence on your life. Frank Shankwitz, a co-founder of the Make-A-Wish charity, died on Monday at age 77 at his home in Prescott, Arizona. Disney had Bopsy over there, and his mother. Discovery Company. appreciated. ARIZONA, USA Frank Shankwitz, the founder of the Make-A-Wish foundation and a former Arizona Department of Public Safety (DPS) Trooper, has died. Well, by chance I guess. The Make-A-Wish Foundation would send me all over the United States even as far as Guam and Saipan and Tinian for meet-and-greets, for galas, for keynote speaking, and it was just When the movie started, they wanted to take control of the movie, which the studio would allow, and they just got real upset with me for some reason, and just Im not part of it anymore officially. blackpool north pier fishing permit; bradley cooper parents; best prepaid debit card to avoid garnishment; williamson medical group franklin, tn; terrence clarke autopsy report. Obviously, she didnt listen and perform almost four minutes of CPR and brought me back to life. Whats in your saddlebag? He resigned in 2014 after 42 years of law enforcement service. Shankwitz and his wife Kitty resided in Prescott, Arizona. Yes. Can I get on your motorcycle? Of course, you can, Chris.. Constantly on the move and frequently hungry and homeless . Frank Shankwitz: I said, Guys, I make in one week what you make in a month, and Im just not going to do that salary change. But I got bored at Motorola. Im real lucky because being a police officer and being so involved in the Foundation are both things I love and that create value for others. Frank Shankwitz is the Founder of the Make-A-Wish Foundation, which is one of the largest charity organizations in the world. Out stepped Chris, an excited 7-year-old boy who seemed so full of life, it was hard to believe he was sick.. It would take a couple of days. Chitra Ragavan: That must have been profound. He left the service in 1965 and moved to Phoenix, where he worked for Motorola and enrolled in night classes at a community college. Your email address will not be published. It would be profound for anybody. It's Frank's story, and wow, what an inspiring life he has led! Could you describe what those early years were like? I remember looking at the classified ads for any position for a retired homicide detective. It was rewarding. Thats when I knew I had found my purpose: It was the entire experience we had with Chris, and watching how everyone around him responded and helped too. Bill also for college, and just a great job, just a great career, ended up in statistical engineering, which my math teachers in high school just got a big kick out of, determined failure rate on certain missile components, like I said, a great job, excellent money, and several of my friends who joined the highway patrol from high school days kept saying, Frank, with your background, you should really join the patrol. Shankwitz was pursuing a drunken driver in 1978 when another drunken driver blindsided him. His mother, Lorraine Geraldine (Mathews) Shankwitz, was a waitress. Frank Shankwitz, an Arizona motorcycle cop with a troubled past, survives a near-fatal accident during a high-speed pursuit. An Arizona Highway Patrol motorcycle officer with a troubled past, Shankwitz survived a near-fatal accident during a high-speed pursuit. 2023 Cable News Network. A story about the man who put giving back on the map and created the Make-A-Wish Foundation. He was 77. Lets start helping other people. Shortly after I met him he passed away. But my destination changed., Frank Shankwitz, a Founder of Make-a-Wish, Is Dead at 77, https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/06/us/frank-shankwitz-dead.html. Frank Earle Shankwitz (March 8, 1943 - January 24, 2021) was an American philanthropist who was the creator and a co-founder of the Make-A-Wish Foundation. He said, This is the red light. He couldnt do it. In fact, David, Tanya and I have started a speaking tour to discuss the issue of dealing with depression caused by medication. We had never really thought about a travel wish, and we had very little money in our bank account. Its going to turn around. I have no hard feelings of anything. I mean, they were helping us out as much as they could, and I enrolled in school, because I had jumped from school to school, and this was actually the first town we had ever lived in. As I said, 10 years old, washing dishes, Im getting off late one afternoon. His wife, Kitty Shankwitz, said the cause was esophageal cancer. [2] When I immerse myself in the work I love (reading, learning, experimenting and writing about things to improve the health and wellbeing of the world, one person at a time), it seems the Universe conspires to help me, too. Frank Shankwitz: I said, What do you mean by that? Some days, youre the frog. Leukemia was a death sentence in those days along with the other cancers, and, now, through the grace of God, modern medicine, thats why we changed our mission to children with life-threatening illnesses, more and more children are surviving, but, again, a seven-year-old boy named Frank, nicknamed Bopsy Salazar, and I was his wish granter. Shankwitz passed away on January. Its almost like I was sixty-eight years old and I met Juan again. But an off-duty emergency room nurse driving past the crash performed CPR for four minutes and literally brought Shankwitz back to life. PHOENIX (AP) - Frank Shankwitz, a co-founder of the Make-A-Wish charity and a former Arizona state trooper, has died. The same with Mrs. Ortega. The next day Chris was back in the hospital, and by the time Mr. Shankwitz arrived with the badge and the picture, he had fallen into a light coma. In 2004, Shankwitz received The President's Call To Service Award from President George W. Bush for service and civic participation, and recognition and appreciation for the commitment to strengthen our Nation and for making a difference through volunteer service. Greicius wanted to be a Highway Patrol Motorcycle Officer like his heroes, Ponch and Jon from the television show, CHiPs. Surround yourself with people smarter than you, because we had never taken a salary, and we realized we had to start paying some people, but our Actually, to answer your question, our first official wish is probably my favorite because it opened up a door that Ill explain, and this is again a seven-year-old boy. Well, I hope this doesnt sound too corny, but I am alive. 12:40 PM EST, Sun February 7, 2021, Make-A-Wish gives boy epic day as robot superhero. Frank Shankwitz: Yes. My mom kept running out of money so wed have to stop while she got a job as a waitress in some town. We used the G.I. Bob Gunia Empowers People to Live Their Best Lives. Frank Paul Shankwitz Birth 03/10/1916 - Chicago, Cook, Illinois, USA Death 04/1981 - Chicago, Cook, Illinois, USA Mother Unavailable Father Unavailable Quick access Family tree New search Frank Paul Shankwitz family tree Family tree Explore more family trees Parents Unavailable Unavailable Spouse (s) Lorraine Geraldine Mathews 1920 - 2011 We set up some traffic cones. I mean, I had a lot of things, and I know there are several kids Im sure that went through the same thing and they even do today, but its all character building. In 2019, a full length film titled "Wish Man" was released. We have lost a fellow officer, which we did. Thank you! All Rights Reserved. In . She said, What can I help you with?, Frank Shankwitz: I said, I need to talk to the Director of Public Relations. What about? I said, I have a warrant for one of your people? Guess who I got to talk to immediately, but, the minute I got the gentleman on the phone, I just said, I just lied to you. Hes not going to survive the day. It took about several months, for recovery, and I had a massive brain injury, skull fracture, broken bones, a lot of missing skin, and it didnt scare me as far as wanting to go back to work, but during the time, just before going to actually go release going back to work, I had to go to the counselor, psychological counselor to make sure that, psychologically, mentally, were okay to go back to work, and one of the things she said to me in one of the last sessions was, You realize you died, and God spared you for a reason, and now its up to you to find that reason why you were spared, and kind of a depression state right then, but, two years later, I found that reason when I met a little boy who inspired me to start the Make-A-Wish Foundation. It changes. Shankwitz continued to work with the Make-A-Wish Foundation as a Wish Ambassador and keynote speaker at fund-raising events for chapters throughout the United States, as well as a former board member of the Arizona chapter. That took a couple years and finally Wishman was published in October 2016. Paperback. Your email address will not be published. They sent her to a acting school, but, during school, she became very interested in the technical side, and when the school was over, the director said, Would you like to be an intern for the script supervisor? which she had never heard of. Frank was the creator and co-founder of the Make-A-Wish Foundation (1943-2021) Frank Shankwitz | Prescott AZ When I immerse myself in the work I love (reading, learning, experimenting and writing about things to improve the health and wellbeing of the world, one person at a time), it seems the Universe conspires to help me, too. Its a story about people who refuse to give up on their mission, and how they turn the negatives into the positives. Thats a positive. Frank Shankwitz: Now, this was 1950s. Filming starts in April. Before he landed, he had sketched a plan for what just a few months later became the Make-a-Wish Foundation. Did Frank Shankwitz marry Kitty? The number of lives he touched throughout the world with the creation of the Make-A-Wish Foundation, his career in law enforcement, his service in the Air Force, as well as the impact he made through all the other organizations he gave his time to in recent years, is a testament to the man he was, the statement said. It may require cleanup to comply with Wikipedia's content policies, particularly, Learn how and when to remove this template message, "Something Significant: The Wish Man, Frank Shankwitz", "Shankwitz Ranks Among the Greatest in History", "Make-a-Wish founder to receive Ellis Island Medal of Honor", "New book fulfills vision of Make A Wish co-founder Shankwitz", "World Wish Day celebrates Make-a-Wish and Arizona roots", "Making A World of Difference: The 2010 honorees", "In 'Heroes' From The Past, Lessons For A Son", "Inspire your kids with stories of heroes", "The Story Of Frank 'Bopsy' Salazar, Make-A-Wish's First Wish Kid, Will Stay With You Forever", "Standing in the pavilion at Jennings Beach on Saturday", "Frank Shankwitz, founder of Make-A-Wish and former Arizona DPS trooper, has died", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Frank_Shankwitz&oldid=1139746329, Short description is different from Wikidata, Wikipedia articles with possible conflicts of interest from February 2018, Wikipedia articles needing rewrite from October 2015, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 16 February 2023, at 18:13. Chitra Ragavan: Frank Shankwitz is the award-winning creator and a Co-Founder of the Make-A-Wish Foundation, a global charity that fulfills the wishes of children with life-threatening illnesses. Then Hollywood contacted me saying, We want to do a feature motion picture about your life. I said, No you dont, and they said, Yes we do. So for the past two and a half years weve been working on the screenplay. I remembered that lesson. We have nothing. I believe in serendipity or destiny or providence. Frank Shankwitz: Well start with Juan first, and, again, I stayed in contact with him. We go to set design in March. As part of Frank's rehabilitation, police chief Sgt. Published Happy Living 2014-2022. I think it probably began with Juan mentoring me and teaching me the importance of giving back. Another is from a very close friend named Tanya Brown. In 2013, Shankwitz co-authored with Rachelle Sparks the book, Once Upon A Wish,[15] published by BenBella Books. He got to be the fireman. Even after stepping down as the Make-a-Wish Foundations president in 1984, he continued meeting with wish kids. I wake up every day with a passion to make a difference in their lives, he said. Arizona Highway Patrol Officer Frank Shankwitz was chasing after a drunk driver one day at 85 miles an hour when his motorcycle broadsided a second drunk driver who cut in front of him. A lot of people would become embittered and fail in life with a lot less adversity. Between the ages of two and five I lived with my grandparents. It was a great PR talking to the kids, and he told his mother, When I grow up, I want to be a highway patrol motorcycle officer just like Ponch and Jon.. You worked some really hard jobs at an incredibly young age, including for the Santa Fe Railroad when during that time in Arizona. Its during Easter break. Shankwitz was born. Again, its all about how she turned all those negative factors in her life into positives, and how to escape from depression and thoughts of suicide. The same as Ponch, and were all laughing. Frank Shankwitz, an Arizona Highway Patrol officer who, after helping a terminally ill boy realize his dream of becoming a motorcycle cop, co-founded the Make-a-Wish Foundation and served as its first president, died on Jan. Trending. Shankwitz, a former Arizona Highway Patrol officer, died on Jan. 24 at his home in Prescott,. Heres my supervisors name and his phone number. He called in the code 963A officer killed in the line of duty, and she said, Let me try, and he said, Hes dead, and were talking. His parents separated when he was 2 and fought bitterly over his custody his mother kidnapped him several times, only to work out an uneasy arrangement with his father. Is there any way he can meet a motorcycle officer? and I just happened to be that motorcycle officer that they chose. Youre on your own, and this would be devastating to I think most kids. Just the smile on this guys face, and I immediately liked him. You follow me to the ranch house and you can stay with us, until get settled. Id sweep. Im just two stars down from Elvis Presley, who I had met in my earlier career, so thats fun to be there. In 1975, Shankwitz was transferred to the Phoenix area to be part of a new 10-man Motorcycle Tactical Unit designed to work throughout the state. I dont know if I mentioned it to you that I received my star on the Walk of Fame in Las Vegas, which was a. His uniform is hanging by his bed. My mother just left my home, just left our trailer, and he said, Living with the Widow Sanchez, youre going to have your own bedroom for the first time. Arizona Trooper. Flying home, I just started thinking about, Heres a boy who had a wish, and we made it happen. Thanks to all our generous founders, more than 500,000 children with critical illnesses worldwide have had the chance to experience the long-lasting, life-changing benefits of a wish.. And Im reaching so many people. I dont know what were going to do. A rancher stopped by, asked whats going on, and he said, Ill go get some gas. Yes, she did, and halfway through the summer, one day, the regular script supervisor didnt show up. He realized that what the department had done for Chris, he and his friends could do for other children. Frank Shankwitz: He said, Grab a hammer kid, and I said, I dont know what to do, because I never had a father figure teach me anything like carpentry or any type of skills like that, and Juan became my father, my mentor figure. Frank Shankwitz Sr., never gave up looking for his son; and when little Frank was 10-years-old, his father finally tracked them down but before he had a chance to take back his son; Lorraine went on the run. You dont have to have money, and that lesson has stayed with me my whole life. Required fields are marked *. We have no food. Youve got a police background, which I did in the Air Force.. Chitra Ragavan: I was thinking this is a podcast about your leadership, but, in some ways, its a podcast also, this episode, about mentorship and the importance of mentorship, and you were surrounded by mentors, and, without them, do you think your life would have been a lot different? Theyd never heard of us, and the secretary said, I dont know what to do. I said, Let me call Disney. In 1980, Shankwitz was one of the primary officers from the Arizona Highway Patrol who was involved in making the "wish" of seven-year-old Chris Greicius, who had end stage leukemia at the time, come true. Frank Shankwitz: Now, I still promote the Make-A-Wish Foundation all I can. Am I a motorcycle officer now? Yes, you are, Chris. His wish had become true, and he passed away just a couple of hours later, and I always like to think maybe his wings helped carry him to heaven. I said, Juan, what do you mean give back? Mr. Shankwitz promised to bring him a special badge worn by motorcycle cops; he also called NBC, the network that aired CHiPs, and asked for the shows stars, Erik Estrada and Larry Wilcox, to autograph a photo. She was living in the Phoenix area and, all of a sudden, got very involved with veterans, the VA hospital down there, going in and volunteering, spending a lot of hours helping the veterans, even driving a van, picking them up, taking them back and forth to places, in fact even received awards from the VA out of Washington, D.C., for all the hours that she spent. You always respect her, and I did. Today the organization has 64 chapters in the United States and 36 internationally, which have delivered wishes ranging from eat in a restaurant to meet the pope to more than 500,000 critically ill children. Details. During my middle years, in a little town called Seligman, Arizona, was the first time I felt a bit of permanency in my life. That was her wish, but she was too ill. According to the Arizona Department of Public Safety, it was Chris dream to be a Highway Patrol motorcycle officer like the characters on his favorite TV show, CHiPs.. That was true in this little town of Seligman. He really took me under his wing, as they call it, and just taught me so many things, the biggest thing, work ethic, about integrity, character, and after we He introduced me to music. Frank Shankwitz: Good surroundings, I guess, the people I work with, especially One of the things, I was on what they call a Fatal Squad for the Arizona Highway Patrol. Frank Shankwitz: When we started this foundation, it was for children with terminal illnesses. [5][6][7] In 2019, a full length film titled Wish Man was released. But it was the compassion and generosity hed witnessed when strangers joined together to make a difference in another little boys life that made Franks destiny clear to him. He died at his home. Frank Shankwitz: It did. Why cant we do that for other children? Thats when the idea of the Make-A-Wish Foundation was born, maybe over Kansas at 36,000 feet. It took him over a year to recover, and it was shortly after he returned to duty that he met Chris Greicius. How did that happen? Im Chris. Shankwitz has been featured in Greg Reid's, "Universal Wish" and Lisa Heidinger's, "Wishes In Flight". Chitra Ragavan: You only knew him for a brief period before he died and, when he died, it had a major impact on you and your fellow officers in the Arizona State Police. Give back is a popular term today, but it wasnt then. Creator and Co-Founder of the Make-A-Wish Foundation, Frank Shankwitz is sharing how he went from humble beginnings and living in a campground as a child to becoming an Arizona State Trooper and having a near-death experience to becoming one of Forbes Top Ten Keynote Speakers and helping grant wishes of terminally ill children. By the seventh grade, my mother told me she could no longer afford me, and she was moving to another town, and she said youre on your own. Frank Shankwitz: I just explored. The department had learned about a boy named Chris Greicius who wanted to be a motorcycle officer when he grew up, just like Ponch and Jon, the main characters on his favorite television show, CHiPs. Chris had end-stage leukemia. Did Frank Shankwitz marry Kitty? Its going to be their home now, and theyre trying to paint that. I couldnt do both. What happened? She said, Im a Wish child.. Two years later, when he was asked to cheer up a terminally ill seven-year-old boy who was a huge fan of highway motorcycle squads because of the popular television show CHiPS, Shankwitz found that higher cause. My mission is Everybody can be a hero. Producer: Old Nevada. It was a 10-man squad that we worked the whole state of Arizona, two weeks at one town, two weeks at another, and we initially, in fact, trained with California Highway Patrol. "We need someone to play my father." . Shankwitz graduated from Phoenix College in 1970, with continuing education at Arizona Western College and Arizona State University. Youve gotten two honorary doctorates and dozens of awards and accolades. Im pleased with everything thats happened to me over my life. He said, Frank, so many people in this town are helping you. I just try to turn the negatives into positives. reflexiones cortas sobre la obediencia. We found out he had a little battery operated motorcycle that his mother had for him in place of a wheelchair. Frank Shankwitz: Yeah, and after, like I said, when started hiring people, and this was in 1982, 83, I became what they call Wish Ambassador. The Phoenix Fire Department just went all out to make him an official fireman. Chitra Ragavan: Tell us about this young boy. You may have heard of his brother, Elvis Presley. He's a lifelong Arizona resident. So when I face difficult obstacles, and we all do, I go back to the fact that Im alive, I remind myself of why I am here, and I go to my happy place, which is snow skiing and riding motorcycles and fishing So whenever I got stressed out, Matt, Id just go and find my happy place. It grew rapidly: Within a few years it had become a national organization, with state chapters opening almost monthly. Make-a-Wish founder and Air Force veteran Frank Shankwitz dead at 77. You can go over there and clean that yard. Now, this was in the middle 60s, early 70s, the days of sex, drugs, rock and roll, and Motorola were looking for us. The demographic was about seven to 14 with the kids and, because of Erik Estrada who played Ponch, seven to about 50 with the ladies, but and Id never met this boy, and a friend of the family contacted the Arizona Highway Patrol and explained, We have this seven-year-old boy. All Rights Reserved. I really dont know. These things are so heavy, and we found out that if we did that for them, me and a couple other kids, wed get a quarter. Shankwitz later went on to write a memoir, and his life inspired the 2019 film Wish Man.. [8] The boy was made the first and only Honorary Arizona Highway Patrol Officer in the history of the Arizona Highway Patrol, complete with a custom made uniform, badge, and Motor Officer Wings. How many children has the foundation granted wishes to since then? Hallmark Keepsake Ornament Reveal #9: Father Christmas. After depleting his money . What is my purpose? And then I met Chris, a very sick little seven-year-old boy with terminal leukemia, and I finally knew my answer. Bay City Times. Give back. Its up in the mountains in Northern Arizona. This little boy just come off IVs. Frank Shankwitz passed away at age 65 years old in April 1981. She has her seven-year-old back. Frank Shankwitz: I appreciate being a guest, and thank you again. I go to Juan, and I said, What do I do? and he said, I heard whats going to happen. He said, Ive arranged for you to live with the Widow Sanchez. This is a siren. The biggest thing I remember from that time is always wondering what we were going to eat. Who is this? Instead of saying, Im Frank Shankwitz, the President, CEO of Make-A-Wish Foundation, I said, This is Officer Frank Shankwitz, Arizona Highway Patrol, and got her attention. Shes working in this one little village that was close by, leaving me by myself, but it turned out to be somewhat of a good thing in the long run because I had to start learning survival, self-survival. Mr. Shankwitz in an undated photo. Frank Shankwitz Sr., never gave up looking for his son; and when little Frank was 10-years-old, his father finally tracked them down but before he had a chance to take back his son; Lorraine went on the run. He then went to work for the Arizona Motor Vehicle Divisions Office of Special Investigations, the AZDPS says, before retiring in 2001. It was once enough for me to be a dad, a cowboy and a highway patrol officer. 2. Ive been watching him, a little Mexican man across the street building something. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delgadillos_Snow_Cap_Drive-In. Some of his high school friends had joined the Arizona Highway Patrol, and it didnt take much cajoling for him to apply. His legacy will live forever. Chitra Ragavan: Your early years, as I said, were filled with poverty and homelessness and separation from one or other parent. Frank Shankwitz, a longtime Arizona Department of Public Safety officer who co-founded the Make-A-Wish Foundation, has died, his wife told the New York Times. The Make-A-Wish Foundation was founded in 1980 with a simple mission: Together, we create life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses.