Frankie, a memorable castmate from MTV's The Real World: San Diego back in 2004, and the first Real World star to die since AIDS hero Pedro Zamora thirteen years ago, suffered from cystic fibrosis, and that's what her family thinks killed her at 25. But the medical examiner hasn't yet determined the cause (Frankie was a "hard liver" who was found dead in her mother's house eight days ago).
Frankie's hour-long memorial service was a rock 'n' roll affair...
...kicking off with Norman Greenbaum's chestnut, "Spirit In The Sky" and featuring displays of pierce, tattooed Frankie photos, a jar of pickles and some high-style platform shoes.
Her father, Joe Abernathy arrived from Hye, Texas, and listed some of her other favorites: "Sleeping late. Cheese. Italian food. Clothes. Her cat." All types of music. And Harleys.
He said wthat when Frankie was diagnosed as a toddler, doctors had figured she'd live to 28.
Stepdad Perry Hunter told some funny Frankie stories. Frankie's mother, Abby Hunter, said she'd thought about telling funny stories but wanted to make everyone feel better about Frankie's's death. She said that Frankie had become become "sicker, a lot sicker," in the past year, and couldn't walk far without running out of breath.
Mom said that Frankie dying at home instead of in a hospital bed, was "the best possible situation."
Sign the guestbook or even leave an audio entry for Frankie at her hometown newspaper, here.