Frank Blas

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.

Biography

Early life
Blas was born on March 20, 1941, in Agana, now known as Hagåtña, Guam. He attended Father Dueñas Memorial School in Guam, and St. Augustine High School in San Diego, California. 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.

Blas and his first wife, Lydia Blas (died 1970), had two children, including Frank Blas Jr., a politician. In 1971, Blas married his second wife, Tina and had three children.

Career
Blas worked for the Mobil Petroleum Company of Guam from 1965 until 1969.

He was Director of the Department of Commerce of Guam from 1969 to 1972. Blas was elected to Legislature of Guam as a Senator from 1974 until 1984.

In 1982, with Republican Senator Kurt Moylan, Blas challenged the Republican Governor Paul McDonald Calvo in the primary election. Moylan and Blas were defeated in the primary vote. Governor Calvo lost to Democrat Ricardo Bordallo in the November 1982 general election.

On November 4, 1986, Joseph Franklin Ada, with Frank Blas, were elected Governor and Lieutenant Governor of Guam. Ada defeated the Governor Ricardo Bordallo by 2,581 votes (7.6%). Blas served as Lt. Governor under Ada for two terms from January 1987 until January 1995. Blas described his main role as a liaison between the Ada administration and members of the Legislature.

Ada could not seek re-election to a third term, so Blas joined with Simon Sanchez to stand for office. However, Blas and Sanchez lost the 1994 Republican primary election to Tommy Tanaka and Doris Brooks. Tanaka was defeated in the 1994 election by Democrat Carl Gutierrez and Madeleine Bordallo.

Blas left politics in January 1995. He owned Frank Blas & Associates, an insurance brokerage firm based in Barrigada, Guam. In 2003, Blas was appointed Chairman of the Antonio B. Won Pat Guam International Airport Authority, a government agency which operates the airport.

Frank Blas died on August 1, 2016, at the age of 75.

References

Category:1941 births
Category:2016 deaths
Category:Lieutenant Governors of Guam