Diaz, known affectionately as the \u201cMayor of Crestwood\u201d and \u201cCrestwood Constable,\u201d died peacefully at home, his family said. He was 85.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe was great at getting people involved,\u201d Jeremy Bravo, the Crestwood Association<\/a> president, said Monday. \u201cHe was great at getting young people involved. You saw his age, but he was so energetic. I think that\u2019s why Crestwood is one of the safest neighborhoods in Fort Worth.\u201d<\/p>\n The Fort Worth Police Crime Prevention Northwest Division, where Diaz was a fixture at monthly meetings, announced his death<\/a> in its January newsletter.<\/p>\n \u201cHe was Northwest Division\u2019s longest-serving COP captain, faithfully covering the Crestwood area for 36 years,\u201d the unit wrote in the newsletter. \u201cFrank was a dedicated and kind soul whose commitment and leadership left a lasting impact on the COP program and our community.\u201d<\/p>\n Mayor Mattie Parker described Diaz as the \u201cvery best of Fort Worth\u201d because of his service and genuine care for the community.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cAs one of the longest-serving Citizens on Patrol volunteers, he worked tirelessly to make the Crestwood neighborhood and our entire city a safer, stronger place for everyone,\u201d Parker said in a statement. \u201cI\u2019m deeply honored to have known him, and his legacy of service will continue to inspire us all.\u201d<\/p>\n Diaz was born in 1940 in Fort Worth, the 13th and youngest child of Francisco and Petra Zapata Diaz, his family said. He and his wife, Elizabeth (Snyder) Diaz, married in 1962 and reared two children \u2014 Steven Diaz and Katrina Diaz. Frank was a career beef salesman, selling for various local meat companies through the years, the family said.<\/p>\n The family moved to Crestwood in the 1970s. In 1981, Diaz became a charter member of the residents\u2019 Crestwood Association<\/a>, according to a police nomination of him in 2022 for Fort Worth\u2019s Chuck Silcox Award for contributions to Citizens on Patrol. He served as the association\u2019s block representative, president and longtime chair of the security committee.<\/p>\n \u201cDuring the first few years of the association\u2019s existence, Frank was at the forefront of efforts to promote the association and unite the community toward its goals of promoting harmony among its residents, vigilance against crime, and cooperation with government officials for the general welfare of the neighborhood and its residents,\u201d the award nomination read.<\/p>\n \u201cThere were many miles walked distributing newsletters, much time spent in conversation promoting household membership and encouraging resident participation, and days of work every fall both before and after a neighborhood-wide picnic sponsored by the association.\u201d<\/p>\n In 1987, Diaz and a group of neighbors took the Crestwood crime watch to \u201canother level, a patrol by citizens modeled on a concept developed in the Oakhurst neighborhood,\u201d the nomination read.<\/p>\n The Crestwood Crime Patrol launched in 1988. In 1991, Diaz was among more than 100 citizens who inaugurated Fort Worth\u2019s Citizens on Patrol. He subsequently traveled with a group to help Fort Worth present its successful case for the All-America City Award<\/a> in 1993 and 2011.<\/p>\n Even though Diaz was nominated for the Silcox award, \u201cwe were so affected by the submission that we made an award particularly for him acknowledging his dedication to his community and the FWPD,\u201d said Shirley Zertuche, one of the police department\u2019s volunteer coordinators. The city awarded Diaz its COP Lifetime Achievement Award that year.<\/p>\n Jason Back, Fort Worth Police Department neighborhood patrol officer for Crestwood, said he typically met with Diaz two to three times per week, usually at a neighborhood park, sometimes at Diaz\u2019s home.<\/p>\n \u201cEven through past illnesses, he still showed up,\u201d Back said. \u201cHe had a smile on his face. He represented the community. That\u2019s what the police would love to have 100 of, 200 of, 300 of, 1,000 of. He was a pillar of the community. Everybody knew him, unless you were new to the community.\u201d<\/p>\n Even if you were new, chances are you met Diaz relatively quickly, community members noted. He cooked hot dogs for years at the neighborhood\u2019s Fourth of July parties and tried to meet everybody who attended, said Bravo, who recalls meeting Diaz at the neighborhood\u2019s first gathering after COVID.<\/p>\n Diaz\u2019s career in sales made it easy for him to be a big welcomer in the neighborhood, Bravo said. \u201cHe was just great at talking to people.\u201d<\/p>\n His daughter, Katrina Diaz, remembers growing up watching her dad walk the neighborhood on volunteer missions.<\/p>\n \u201cHe knew everyone\u2019s name,\u201d she said. \u201cHe kept up with their occupations and their children.\u201d<\/p>\n Diaz was also an active member of the Fort Worth running community, running marathons and duathlons, including the Boston Marathon in 2007. Diaz, who retired in 2013, was involved in local organizations such as Streams & Valleys and Cook Children\u2019s Medical Center, where he volunteered on Mondays as an escort in admissions, the family said.<\/p>\n Diaz was born in Fort Worth and graduated from Trimble Tech High School. He was already working full time by the time he graduated and moved into meat sales.<\/p>\n Diaz was preceded in death by his wife, Elizabeth, who died in 2011. He is survived by son Steven Diaz and partner Sarah Martin; daughter Katrina Diaz and husband Neal Bailey; granddaughter Zo\u00eb Diaz and grandsons Ethan and Jacob Bailey.<\/p>\n Visitation: 6-8 p.m. Jan. 7 at Greenwood Funeral Home in Memorial Suites C & D, 3344 White Settlement Road.\u00a0<\/p>\n Funeral: Noon Jan. 8 in Greenwood\u2019s Live Oak Chapel, 3100 White Settlement Road.\u00a0<\/p>\n Reception: 1:30-2:30 p.m. Jan. 8 at Greenwood Funeral Home in Memorial Suites C & D.\u00a0<\/p>\n Interment: Greenwood Memorial Park.<\/p>\n In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the Cook Children\u2019s Health Foundation<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n Scott Nishimura is senior editor for local government accountability at the Fort Worth Report. Reach him at scott.nishimura@fortworthreport.org.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/MattieParker-FrankDiazJr-Oct2025-1.jpg\")
Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker poses with Frank Diaz Jr. during National Night Out in October 2025. Diaz’ cancer was diagnosed in July. (Courtesy photo | Crestwood Association)<\/p>\n