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Frank Collazo Jr., who served as a state representative for 16 years, died at the age of 92.

Collazo died Tuesday, according to his obituary.

Collazo was born in Beaumont and lived in Port Arthur, having graduated from Thomas Jefferson High School and Lamar University.

He was a U.S. Army Veteran, having served as a paratrooper with the 82^nd Airborne Division and upon his honorable discharge began a career at Gulf Oil Refinery, where he worked for 24 years.

His legislative career began in 1977, when he was on numerous committees. During his tenure he and state Sen. Carl Parker worked to enable Lamar University at Port Arthur and Orange to expend constitutionally appropriated funds, provide four-year staggered terms to the directors of the Port Arthur Navigation District and lead legislation relating to the contract authority of Jefferson County Drainage District 7, according to previous Port Arthur Newsmedia reporting.

Collazo was also a local businessman and a family man. His wife, Maggie, preceded him in death. He was a father, grandfather, great grandfather and great great grandfather.

Linda Collazo was his first grandchild for 7 ½ years and has memories with her grandparents going on trips to Austin, while he served as a state representative.

“He even gave me an opportunity to work for him as his secretary when he was a lobbyist,” Linda Collazo said. “I recently spoke to him about that experience, and we laughed about how inexperienced I was back then.”

She said he loved his family and community very much and had a servant’s heart to many.

“He was a man of integrity and love. He will be greatly missed by many,” she said.

Visitation will be held from 5 to 8 p.m. Wednesday with a Rosary to be recited at 6:30 p.m. at Clayton Thompson Funeral Home in Groves.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday at Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church in Port Arthur. Interment with Military Honors will follow in Greenlawn Memorial Park in Groves.