Frank Blas | |
|---|---|
| Lieutenant Governor of Guam | |
| In office January 5, 1987 – January 2, 1995 | |
| Governor | Joseph Franklin Ada |
| Preceded by | Edward Diego Reyes |
| Succeeded by | Madeleine Bordallo |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Frank Flores Blas March 20, 1941 Agana, Guam |
| Died | August 1, 2016 (aged 75) New York City, New York, United States |
| Political party | Republican Party of Guam |
| Spouse(s) | Lydia Calvo (m. 1960–1970) Ernestina "Tina" Tenorio (m. 1971–2016) |
| Children | 5 |
| Alma mater |
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Frank Flores Blas, Sr. (March 20, 1941 – August 1, 2016) was a Guamanian politician, businessman and member of the Republican Party of Guam. Blas served as the Lieutenant Governor of Guam from 1987 until 1995 under Governor Joseph Franklin Ada.[1]
Blas was born on March 20, 1941, in Agana, now known as Hagåtña, Guam.[2] He attended Father Dueñas Memorial School in Guam, and St. Augustine High School in San Diego, California.[1] He received an associate's degree from the College of Guam in 1962. Blas graduated from the University of Portland with a Bachelor of Business Administration in 1965.[1]
Blas and his first wife, Lydia Blas (died 1970), had two children, including Frank Blas Jr., a politician.[1] In 1971, Blas married his second wife, Tina and had three children.[1]
Blas worked for the Mobil Petroleum Company of Guam from 1965 until 1969.[2]
He was Director of the Department of Commerce of Guam from 1969 to 1972.[2] Blas was elected to Legislature of Guam as a Senator from 1974 until 1984.[1][2]
In 1982, with Republican Senator Kurt Moylan, Blas challenged the Republican Governor Paul McDonald Calvo in the primary election.[3] Moylan and Blas were defeated in the primary vote.[3] Governor Calvo lost to Democrat Ricardo Bordallo in the November 1982 general election.[3]
On November 4, 1986, Joseph Franklin Ada, with Frank Blas, were elected Governor and Lieutenant Governor of Guam.[4] Ada defeated the Governor Ricardo Bordallo by 2,581 votes (7.6%).[4] Blas served as Lt. Governor under Ada for two terms from January 1987 until January 1995.[1] Blas described his main role as a liaison between the Ada administration and members of the Legislature.[1]
Ada could not seek re-election to a third term, so Blas joined with Simon Sanchez to stand for office.[1] However, Blas and Sanchez lost the 1994 Republican primary election to Tommy Tanaka and Doris Brooks.[1] Tanaka was defeated in the 1994 election by Democrat Carl Gutierrez and Madeleine Bordallo.
Blas left politics in January 1995.[1] He owned Frank Blas & Associates, an insurance brokerage firm based in Barrigada, Guam.[1] In 2003, Blas was appointed Chairman of the Antonio B. Won Pat Guam International Airport Authority, a government agency which operates the airport.[2]