Frano (Frank) Elek peacefully passed away on Monday, January 12, 2026, at the age of 90, surrounded by his children after a short illness. He will now be reunited with his beloved wife Sonja in heaven. Frank was a devoted father to Francis and Melisa and a cherished Dida to Frankie and Ifan, who brought him immense happiness.
He was predeceased by his parents Stipan and Luca Elek, sister Pera Elek and her husband Jakov Elek, brother Luka Elek, sister Marija Markovic, and brother-in-law Frane Sutej. He is survived by his sister-in-law Jaka Elek, sister Jaka Sutej, brother-in-law Ivan Markovic, sister Ivanka Elek, and sister Andelka (Angie) Mora along with her husband Tony Mora. He also leaves behind many nieces and nephews across Croatia, Canada, and the USA.
We want to extend our heartfelt thanks to Angie and Tony Mora for their incredible support; they helped immensely with everything from ploughing and planting his garden to baking and cooking his favorite dishes.
After Croatian independence, Frank and his late wife spent nearly every summer in Sonja’s hometown of Postira on the island of Brac where they have dear family members and friends. This includes Sonja’s sisters Tonka and Meri as well as his lovely nieces and nephews who will miss having him around.
Born in Otok, Dalmatia in Croatia, he left home at the young age of 13 to pursue technical training in Rijeka. This sparked a lifelong love for adventure. He traveled extensively with the merchant marines sharing stories of voyages that took him from the Middle East to various ports in America until he passed away. After living in several countries for work purposes, he eventually made Windsor in Canada his home.
A skilled retired tool and die maker, Frank prided himself on being able to create or fix just about anything-and more often than not he was right! Always active at heart; he enjoyed spending time with family and friends. Some of his favorite pastimes included chess, bocce ball, and soccer which he would often play or watch during leisure moments.
The essence of Frank’s human spirit is what we will all miss most dearly; it will continue to live on through those who knew him.
Frank spoke highly of the care he received at the Coronary Care Unit at Windsor Regional Hospital; the family sincerely appreciates all that the staff did for him.
A visitation will take place at Windsor Chapel Funeral Home – Banwell Chapel (11677 Tecumseh Rd E., 519-253-7235) on Monday January 19th from 4 pm to 6 pm followed by a funeral service at 6 pm. You can share online condolences or fond memories with the family at www. windsorchapel. com.
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