Mr. Montrose Passes Candle to New Group of Leaders

Most of the time the Montrose Shopping Park is a quaint, sleepy village, but a few times a year it comes alive.

The merchants here have made traditions of special themed events like “Western Days,” “Honolulu Days,” “Oktoberfest,” and the annual Christmas parade.

But locals say none of the fun would have happened without Frank Roberts, also known as “Mr. Montrose.” For much of the last 24 years he’s made it his job to make Montrose shine, organizing an ever-increasing array of special events and cajoling the other 170 merchants here to help him along the way.

“Somebody had to be the leader, I guess. Whenever there is someone who is willing to do it, they’ll find you,” Roberts said. “I just hope it keeps going.”

Last month, Roberts, 80, and his wife of 53 years, Elinor, shut down the Candle Tree, the shop he bought more than two decades ago because he liked the way the candles made the room smell. While he still plans to run his beloved Christmas Parade, Roberts says his advancing age and declining eyesight will force him to pass on most of his Mr. Montrose duties to other retailers on Honolulu Avenue.

Roberts and his wife, who ran the Candle Tree while he ran Montrose, had planned to finally retire, but July 24, just three weeks after shutting down the store, Elinor, 78, died.

While Roberts was always out in front pushing Montrose, his wife stayed in the background. She dedicated herself instead to the Candle Tree’s loyal customers.

“Mom was always able to pick out a special gift for someone,” said Paul Roberts, the couple’s son. “Mom worked in the store and it allowed dad to be semiretired. He could do his Mr. Montrose thing. She was in the background running the store.”

Since opening Joselito’s Mexican restaurant some 20 years ago, Myrna Grijalva has worked with Frank on many projects, including the Christmas parade.

“If [Elinor] didn’t run the store he wouldn’t have had time for everything he did. She knew everything about candles. He knew everything about Montrose,” Grijalva said. “The two of them are the ones who held this town together.”

The Christmas parade started 24 years ago, initially a rather unspectacular event mostly featuring marching Boy Scouts and assorted youth groups. But last year the parade featured 17 bands from all around the county and drew most of the area’s best-known public officials.

Frank Roberts was also behind other special events on the street like Western Days, Honolulu Days and even a Cinco de Mayo celebration. The street also hosts one of the region’s largest arts and crafts shows. On Thursday evenings a farmers market takes over the winding roadway.

Roberts is modest about his contribution to the street, but he clearly enjoyed every minute of planning the special events.

He is still an emeritus member of the Montrose Chamber of Commerce. That means if he goes to the meetings they let him vote, Roberts said. As the Candle Tree was closing up shop a few weeks ago, Dr. Lynn Jarvis, a local psychologist, said she’d miss Elinor and Frank’s contributions to the street.

“This is where I always bought birthday presents for my friends,” Jarvis said. Over the years, Frank Roberts recruited Jarvis to help with many of his local projects. “I’ve never known anyone more community minded,” Jarvis said.

Paul Roberts is philosophical about his mother’s death coming so shortly after her official retirement. He pointed out that his mom refused to even visit the Candle Tree as it was being dismantled because she was so sad about giving up the business.

“They liked working,” Paul Roberts said of his parents. “Retirement isn’t for everyone.”

At home Frank Roberts has a stack of condolence cards two feet high. He and his family plan to respond to every one.

After more than five decades of marriage, Frank Roberts admits it’s very difficult to carry on. But he’s been buoyed by the support of all the friends the couple made on Honolulu Avenue. Shortly after she died, a giant wreath was put up in the middle of the shopping area with a banner that read “In Memory of Elinor.”

“I didn’t realize we had so many friends,” Roberts said. “The store was good for us.”