Letter to the Editor: Even with short acquaintance Frank McIntire will be missed

To the Editor:

My husband Jet Advani and I had the pleasure of meeting Frank McIntire a couple of weeks ago. We knew Adela Nunec from our regular visits to Costco, where we learned she and Frank lived in Charlotte. We invited Adela and her husband to come and visit us.

When they visited the following week, Jet mentioned that as he is getting old, he is always looking for help. Frank readily offered his help and came over to install a bathroom fixture the following Saturday. I also happened to ask Adela if she knew a seamstress, as I had a couple of pajamas that needed shortening. She instantly offered to sew them and showed up the following Wednesday. Both of them were incredibly kind and helpful even though they had just met us.

Frank and Adela also knew that the following Thursday we were going to get a snow storm, so Frank offered to come by on Saturday to help shovel the walkway. On Friday, Adela sent me a text message saying that her husband had a fatal heart attack the night before and wouldn’t be able to come. I was shocked. I was thinking: Under the circumstances, who would have the presence of mind to think about someone else? Especially someone they had only just met? Later, she recounted that Frank had shoveled their entire driveway and even built a sculpture before tragedy struck, a poetic moment of whimsy.

To top it all off, Adela said she could bring Frank’s son Andrew on Saturday to do the snow shoveling. I told her not to worry about us but to take care of herself and the family. Despite our protests, Adela and Andrew decided to visit us on Saturday. Andrew insisted on shoveling the walkway, as he was driven to complete the job that his father had intended to do, to carry out his legacy in this small way.

In the short time that we got to know them, Frank, Adela and Andrew have won our hearts. Frank made quite an impression on us.

Adela is from Nicaragua. She met Frank in Burlington. Adelita (Adela) Nunec and Frank McIntire have been married for 29 years. Adela had two sons from a prior marriage and Frank had one son and a daughter from a prior marriage. Together they had one more son. They live on Spear Street with their two sons, Adela’s mom and Adela’s two nieces. Adela was very thankful to her husband for not just accepting her with all her family but embracing them as their own. Clearly Frank’s spirit of warmth, kindness and service permeated every corner of his life, and I hope we have many opportunities to better get to know his entire family. It is abundantly clear how special Frank was, and we are honored to have known him even just a little.

Our deepest condolences to his entire family. May he have a peaceful journey into his next life.

Gopi and Jet Advani
Charlotte