Francisco “Frank” Irigon died Thursday, September 12, 2024, at age 77. He passed away surrounded by his family after living with long-term heart disease.
Irigon had many identities. He was a family man, a husband, father and grandfather. He was a veteran, executive director, newspaper founder, community builder and political candidate. He will be remembered by many as an activist, first and foremost, champion of civil rights and social justice, and a lifelong advocate for the Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Island (AANHPI) community.
Born in Fort McKinley, Philippines in 1947, Irigon immigrated to the United States with his mother and siblings in 1950 to join his father who was stationed stateside and eventually retired from the United States Army at Fort Lewis, Washington. Irigon was a self-described product of the 1960s. His experiences during those tumultuous times shaped his political views and inspired him to do good and be of service to all people pursuing the “American dream.”
Irigon enlisted in the United States Army and served honorably from 1965 to 1968. In a 2022 interview with OMA&D, he recalled his first experience of racism in the military. “Our first sergeant took us all together, Blacks and Asians and Hispanics — well, Chicanos — and he told us we were all one color.” He continued with a smile, “So we all looked at each other and said [sarcastically], ‘mmm-hmmm.’ But that’s when I became aware of racism in the military.”
Irigon often referred to his military service as the key to his education at the University of Washington. He spoke about how ROTC and his affiliation with OMA&D’s Educational Opportunity Program opened doors for him during and after college. Irigon said, “I remember, I too am a product of the EOP.” He continued, “Without EOP, I wouldn’t be here. I wouldn’t have gotten a degree. I wouldn’t have been able to attend the University of Washington.” His lifelong friend Sharon Maeda (’68) once recalled the dichotomy that Irigon balanced while attending the UW as an undergraduate student. “Frank would go to his ROTC classes or whatever, with this full uniform on, go in the restroom, take the uniform off and roll it up, put it in a grocery bag, and then he’d be out in the in the quad or someplace, protesting what was going on politically.”
From early on, Irigon understood the impact of politics to affect the change that he was fighting for. Recounting his time at the UW, he once said, “[Someone told us] if you guys want anything done, you guys have to run for office. And that’s what we did. We formed a minority/feminist slate and won. We were able to take over student government and get what we wanted.” For more than fifty years, Irigon showed up where he was needed, often putting his personal safety at risk to fight for what he knew was right. Irigon recalled the impact being arrested twice for protesting had on his outlook and commitment.
Although self-described as “not political,” Irigon was well-networked with political leaders throughout his career. In 2022, UW Regent Rogelio Riojas (’73, ’75, ’77) recalled, “I see Frank everywhere throughout the last 50 years. I mean, he’s involved at the state level, at the legislature, you know, at the governor’s office, you know, I see him involved in city councils in Seattle and some of those other city councils within King County.”
One of the most notable and lasting impacts of Irigon’s activism and advocacy stemmed from organized protests against the building of the King Dome at the foot of Seattle’s International District. The result of those protests, and subsequent meetings with political leaders and policymakers led to committed funding to support the most vulnerable in Seattle and King County’s AANHPI communities. Those funds helped launch low-income housing projects in the International District and would also include the creation of the International District Health Clinic, known today as International Community Health Services. ICHS has worked for several decades to improve the health of tens of thousands of AANHPI community members, with positive outcomes rippling through multiple generations. In a 2005 interview with Northwest Asian Weekly, Irigon recounted why he focused on healthcare: “’Health needs of the Asian community were not being met,’ explains Irigon. ‘Elderly in the International District had to go to the Pioneer Square health clinic to get primary care. And they had to walk,’ and the care they received there usually didn’t take their cultures into consideration.” Irigon served as the executive director of the clinic in the 1990s.
In a video celebrating Irigon as the 2022 Charles E. Odegaard award recipient, he offered advice to those wanting to affect change. “Give as much as you can in terms of your time and make these social changes, rather than being on the sideline and doing nothing,” Irigon said. He was labeled by some and proudly identified as an activist, rebel, radical, or a troublemaker. Upon learning he was the 2022 recipient, he questioned why. “I was stunned and surprised. Me, who was in jail for occupying Schmitz Hall? Me, who spent more time at the HUB than at the library? Me, who with other members of the Asian Student Coalition planned our protest and demonstration at the Ethnic Cultural Center?” But it was precisely his tenacity and penchant for “good trouble” that made him worthy of the recognition.
Politicians and community leaders across Washington state have publicly commented on the impact of Irigon’s passing. “Frank was a devoted social and civil rights activist whose life’s work has had a tremendous impact here at the University and well beyond. His tireless investment in protecting Filipino culture and community through social activism and civic engagement not only helped make the UW a more inclusive place, but also helped transform surrounding communities,” said UW President Ana Mari Cauce. “Our hearts go out to his wife Felicita, whom he met here at the UW, to his family, and to the communities he served and to whom he was so very committed. He will be greatly missed.”
“We have lost a community leader, a mentor, an advocate and someone who embodied the courage to stand up for justice, no matter the cost,” said Rickey Hall, vice president for the Office of Minority Affairs & Diversity and university diversity officer. “He walked alongside those demanding indigenous rights, those protesting police brutality against black bodies, those fighting for the right to love those of the same sex. In short, where there was injustice, Frank was willing to take it on.”
OMA&D expresses our deepest condolences to Frank Irigon’s family, friends and the communities who will miss him. He is survived by his wife, Felicita, and their three children and five grandchildren.
Condolences to the family may be mailed to:
Felicita Irigon and Family
C/O OMA&D
University of Washington
Mary Gates Hall, Suite 320
Box 352835
Seattle, WA 98195-2835