Frankie Lee Santana, Jr.

Frankie Lee Santana, Jr. was born on September 17, 1987, in the Borough of Manhattan, New York City, to Rev. Marina Antoinette (Johnny Carter Taylor, Jr.) Skinner and the late Frankie Santana of Jersey City, New Jersey. From an early age, Frankie was known for his warm personality, strong sense of community, and ability to connect with people from all walks of life.                                        
                     
Frankie Lee was a dedicated and personable service professional whose career reflected his work ethic and commitment to others. He was employed at Club Q in Colorado Springs, where he survived the tragic mass shooting in November 2022.                       

Throughout his career, he also served in a variety of roles, including customer service associate, sales associate, and cashier at Harris Teeter in Winston-Salem, North Carolina; retail sales associate for Morrison Management at Baptist Hospital in Winston-Salem; catering associate for Aramark Signature Catering at Winston-Salem State University; dining services employee at Carol Woods Retirement Community in Chapel Hill; custodian for Caraclean in Carrboro; and associate at Walmart in Mocksville.                                   
                 
Frankie Lee was deeply rooted in faith and community. In his youth he attended Calvary Moravian Church in Winston-Salem and was in missions, community outreach, and volunteerism. He was active in the youth missionaries ministries at Emmanuel Missionary Baptist Church in Winston-Salem feeding the homeless. His compassion and generosity were evident in his dedication to helping others.                            

He had a love for music and was a gifted singer, sharing his voice with joy and sincerity. Frankie also possessed a vivid imagination and was working on several science fiction manuscripts. He enjoyed traveling, embraced new experiences, and never met a stranger. He was also known for his distinctive sense of style, often favoring Eddie Bauer clothing, hats, shoes, and accessories.

Frankie Lee Santana, Jr.,passed away on June 18, 2026, from injuries sustained in a fatal car crash in Lexington, North Carolina. He was 38 years old. He was preceded in death by his paternal grandfather Carmelo Santana; his maternal grandparents, James and Mattie Skinner, and Esterlean Howell; his great‑uncle and great‑aunt, Isaac Lee Howell and Helen Carter Hauser Howell, whom he regarded as grandparents.        

Frankie Lee is survived by his two children, Frankie Carmelo Santana, III and Ursula Calista Santana, and their mother, Vanessa Shogreen of Winston-Salem, North Carolina. He also leaves behind his sisters, Oriana Brigitte McConnell, Fatima Santana and step-sister Felicia Taylor; his brothers, Benjamin Alexander Brunson, Nico Santana and stepbrother, Rahim Taylor. He is further survived by his nieces and nephews, Josiah Kai Wolf Jones, Micah Lee Alexander McConnell, Anastasiya Antoinette Brigette McConnell, and Zathyhia Ignacio Brunson; his paternal grandmother Teresa Zavala Santana; his aunts, Sandra “Sandy” Jeanne Howell, Eloise Skinner, Doris “Dori” Santana‑Velez, Elizabeth “Ellie” Sonii, and Zoraida “Angie” Pabon; his uncles, Steven “Stevie” Ulysses Howell, Edwin Skinner, Anthony “Tony” Richards, Carmelo “Tato” Santana, Jr., Efrain Santana, and Freddy Santana; and a host of great aunts, great uncles, cousins, extended family members, and friends who will cherish his memory.               

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