[CR]Francisco Cuevas--Letter from his Grandson

(Example: Production Builders:Teledyne)

Date: Fri, 04 Feb 2005 13:07:55 -0500
From: <LouDeeter@aol.com>
To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
Subject: [CR]Francisco Cuevas--Letter from his Grandson

I received the letter below from Francisco Cuevas's grandson. His dates are a bit off (in the 70s) from what I understood regarding the relationship with Paris-Sport, but the tone and heart of the letter are worthy of sharing. Lou Deeter, Orlando FL

As you all may have heard, this past Friday January 28th. 2005 my grand father Senor Francisco Cuevas SR. died in his home in Barcelona, Spain. He would have been 90 yrs old this July. Francisco was born in Barcelona in 1915, by the time he was 14 he started an apprenticeship as a frame builder.He built his first frame at 18 and started racing. He had a small shop were he started making frames for racers and all types of riders. By 1937 politics in Spain were very bad, he then went to war against Franco in the Civil war of Spain. He married in 1940 and had my dad Paco in 1942 and my aunt Maria in 1946. By 1951 the political situation had become worse. So he set off to Argentina were he would start his life all over again. He built frames in Mendoza, Argentina and was the trainer and coach for the National cycling team. In 1955 my uncle Andres was born. By 1970 Argentina was in a terrible economic state and after the death of president Peron,the military was in charge of the country. Grandpa and my dad set off to the USA in 1971 and started to work in the bike shop business for Metro Bikes. In 1977 Mike Fraysee and his dad the late Vic Fraysee hired him, and Andres to build frames for them and their team under the Paris-Sport line. In 1984 grandpa and my uncle Andres his youngest son, started their own frame shop in Astoria ,NY and built about 200 frames ayear. I belive that grandpa and his sons have built about 5000 frames in three continents.

A plain man who took his craft very seriously ,would spend hours making every frame as if it was for him. He was the one that would take me to races and would go on training rides with me. He was one of my greatest heroes and mentors. I will really miss him and will try to follow in his foot steps. Francisco is survived by his wife Maria, his sister Isabel, his three children, myself and my brother Diego.

May his torch continue threw everyone he knew and those he influenced in our great sport. thanks Fernando Cuevas