Remembering Frank Pastore

Frank Pastore went to heaven today. Because my own father had been in a coma for months and came out of it when I was a senior,  I believed it was possible Frank could do the dame. One of my friends and I were talking about how we wanted to hear him talk about visiting heaven and coming back to life. I, along with thousands of others, was praying for a Christmas miracle for his family but God had other plans.

Frank was host of the Frank Pastore Show on KKLA here in Southern California. He was a business friend, but a mentor to me too. I had the privilege to be on his show several times representing non profits I worked for. Anyone who sat in the studio with him saw passion and perfection in motion. Each time I was in awe of how he skillfully orchestrated his show. In between segments he became teacher and coach, helping us to tell better stories. He taught us about radio and how to connect with an unseen audience.

I remember during one of our on air fundraisers Frank learned I had personally experienced the pain and regret of abortion. He immediately said “share it.” Then,
“Ok, get ready, you have 60 seconds to prepare.” I had never shared my story publicly, much less to thousands of his listeners. I called my mom to warn her, took a deep breath and shared.

He had a gift which led to him being name Christian Broadcaster of the year several times. He was smart and engaged people of all viewpoints in discussion, always pointing them to the word of God. When something big happened I looked forward to hearing his take on what had happened. He was a man of strong convictions. Anyone who listened to his show knows how much he loved his family.

Frank was a voice for life in our community. He and Gina gave over and beyond, offering dinners and tours to raise money for the causes they engaged with. Frank helped so many ministries in Southern California raise needed funds and  share stories of how God was working through their ministry. He challenged us to give generously and was a voice for those in need.

When I had the crazy idea to take Adventures In The Kitchen to the radio, I leaned on all I had learned sitting in Frank’s studio. Recording the weekly show I had a new level of respect for how he made something hard seem so effortless.

Just last May he was the keynote speaker at a fundraiser for the ministry I was running. He talked about the value of life and the soul, something he talked about the last night he was on the air. People called the next day to say they had talked all the way home about his talk. He made us think, he challenged us to be prepared to share about God and defend our faith.

My heart breaks for his family. As believers we know that this is not the end of the story and that we will meet again. Frank himself, eerily talked about his soul less than an hour before the accident. Please join me in keeping the Pastore family in your prayers this Christmas season.