Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
Dr. Francine Oputa Was 'Unwavering Champion for Diversity, Equity'
NANCY WEBSITE HEADSHOT 1
By Nancy Price, Multimedia Journalist
Published 1 year ago on
September 18, 2023

Share

Dr. Francine Oputa, the retired director of Fresno State’s director of the Cross Cultural and Gender Center, is remembered for her strong voice advocating for diversity as well as a smile that brightened the lives of all who knew her.

Dr. Oputa died Thursday at the age of 70.

Fresno State President Saúl Jiménez-Sandoval on Monday called Dr. Oputa an “unwavering champion for diversity, equity, and inclusion, serving as the guiding light for discussions on challenging issues with integrity, resolve, and visionary leadership.

“Her impact on our campus community, both personally and professionally, is immeasurable. Dr. Oputa was a mentor and a source of inspiration to many of us. While we are collectively heartbroken over this tremendous loss, we are also deeply grateful for Dr. Oputa’s legacy of bridge-building, dialogue, and fellowship.”

During her 30-year career at Fresno State, Dr. Oputa also served as director of the Center for Women and Culture and director of the Central Valley Cultural Heritage Institute. She retired as director of the Cross Cultural and Gender Center in 2021.

Dr. Joseph Castro, Fresno State’s former president, said he worked with Dr. Oputa when she was co-chair of the President’s Commission on Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion and called her a “beloved colleague.”

“She was one of my most influential advisors on issues related to campus culture and she always made time for students or colleagues who needed her advice,” Castro said.

“Dr. Oputa challenged us to think about complex issues in new ways, embracing diversity of background and perspective, and modeling inclusiveness. One of my favorite moments was when Dr. Oputa delivered a beautiful and inclusive blessing at the Top Dog Ceremony in front of thousands of community members. She was a tremendous blessing to all who knew and worked with her at Fresno State and in the community.”

Service to the City

Dr. Oputa’s public service included serving on the city of Fresno’s Parks, Recreation, and Arts Commission.

Mayor Jerry Dyer said he was saddened by her death, calling Dr. Oputa “an incredible loving woman who sacrificed so much for this community.

“Francine Oputa served as a commissioner on the Parks, Recreation and Arts Commission and has served for decades as a mentor and role model to hundreds of inner-city youth. My thoughts and prayers are with her husband, Pastor Henry Oputa, and their family. The gates of heaven just welcomed in a saintly woman,” Dyer said.

According to her LinkedIn profile, Dr. Oputa studied theater arts at CSU Long Beach from 1971 through 1974 and then earned her bachelor’s degree in communications from CSU Stanislaus in 1979. She earned a master’s in mass communication from Fresno State in 1984 and a doctorate degree in education in 2011 from the University of California, Davis/Fresno State doctoral program.

She Touched Many Lives

Among her friends, Dr. Oputa was “genuine, honest and fierce!” Fresno State’s former first lady, Mary Castro said. “Personally, I mourn the loss of one of my dearest friends. She had a way of ‘smiling from the heart,'” she said.

Dr. Oputa was a dedicated public servant, a captivating storyteller, and a partner with her husband in ministry, Mary Castro said. She recalled that the two of them founded and led the Bold Readers Book Club at Fresno State for five years.

“I witnessed her navigate difficult subjects and conversations with wisdom and grace. She also knew how to accept love and be vulnerable. Her smile and presence made every room brighter,” she said.

Friends and former students joined in posting tributes to her on social media.

Her husband, Dr. Henry I. Oputa, lifted up his wife in prayer.

The time and location of services have not yet been set but will be provided on the forevermissed.com website. The family is asking that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to The Way Ministries John 14:6.

RELATED TOPICS:

DON'T MISS

Fashion Fair’s Forever 21 to Close. ‘Still a Ways to Go,’ Says Employee

DON'T MISS

Who Runs Elon Musk’s DOGE? Not Musk, the White House Says.

DON'T MISS

New Self-Pollinating Almond Tree Could Be Huge for a Big Fresno Cash Crop

DON'T MISS

Madera County Secures First Fentanyl-Related Homicide Conviction

DON'T MISS

Musk Team Seeks Access to IRS System With Taxpayers’ Records

DON'T MISS

Bannon Calls Musk a ‘Parasitic Illegal Immigrant’

DON'T MISS

Fresno Weather Forecast: Pretty as a Postcard

DON'T MISS

Kennedy Says ‘Nothing’ Off-Limits in Scrutinizing Chronic Disease

DON'T MISS

Judge Declines to Immediately Block Elon Musk or DOGE From Federal Data or Layoffs

DON'T MISS

NBA Playoff Race Heats Up as All-Star Break Ends

UP NEXT

Madera County Secures First Fentanyl-Related Homicide Conviction

UP NEXT

Fresno Weather Forecast: Pretty as a Postcard

UP NEXT

Leonard Peltier Released After Biden Commuted Sentence in FBI Agents’ Killings

UP NEXT

‘Poet Warrior’ Joy Harjo Is Wednesday’s Speaker at Town Hall

UP NEXT

Aryan Brotherhood Members Convicted of Murder, Racketeering in Federal Trial

UP NEXT

Death of South Korean Actor at 24 Sparks Discussion About Social Media

UP NEXT

Valley Crime Stoppers’ Most Wanted Person of the Day: Tiffany Evelyn Tate

UP NEXT

Fresno Joins National Protests Against Trump Administration

UP NEXT

Former Vice President Kamala Harris to Be Honored by NAACP With Its Chairman’s Award

UP NEXT

Tiny but Mighty: Cloe the Yorkie-Chihuahua Mix Seeks Her Perfect Match

Nancy Price,
Multimedia Journalist
Nancy Price is a multimedia journalist for GV Wire. A longtime reporter and editor who has worked for newspapers in California, Florida, Alaska, Illinois and Kansas, Nancy joined GV Wire in July 2019. She previously worked as an assistant metro editor for 13 years at The Fresno Bee. Nancy earned her bachelor's and master's degrees in journalism at Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism. Her hobbies include singing with the Fresno Master Chorale and volunteering with Fresno Filmworks. You can reach Nancy at 559-492-4087 or Send an Email

Madera County Secures First Fentanyl-Related Homicide Conviction

12 hours ago

Musk Team Seeks Access to IRS System With Taxpayers’ Records

12 hours ago

Bannon Calls Musk a ‘Parasitic Illegal Immigrant’

13 hours ago

Fresno Weather Forecast: Pretty as a Postcard

13 hours ago

Kennedy Says ‘Nothing’ Off-Limits in Scrutinizing Chronic Disease

13 hours ago

Judge Declines to Immediately Block Elon Musk or DOGE From Federal Data or Layoffs

13 hours ago

NBA Playoff Race Heats Up as All-Star Break Ends

13 hours ago

NASCAR’s Jeff Gordon Talks ‘Days of Thunder’ Sequel With Tom Cruise

13 hours ago

Adames Joins Giants, Excited to Team Up With Gold Glover Chapman

13 hours ago

Leonard Peltier Released After Biden Commuted Sentence in FBI Agents’ Killings

14 hours ago

Fashion Fair’s Forever 21 to Close. ‘Still a Ways to Go,’ Says Employee

Signs hung throughout fast-fashion clothing store Forever 21 show discounts ranging from 10% to 40% off the “entire store.” And,...

9 hours ago

9 hours ago

Fashion Fair’s Forever 21 to Close. ‘Still a Ways to Go,’ Says Employee

11 hours ago

Who Runs Elon Musk’s DOGE? Not Musk, the White House Says.

11 hours ago

New Self-Pollinating Almond Tree Could Be Huge for a Big Fresno Cash Crop

Fentanyl M30 Pills
12 hours ago

Madera County Secures First Fentanyl-Related Homicide Conviction

12 hours ago

Musk Team Seeks Access to IRS System With Taxpayers’ Records

FILE — Steve Bannon speaks to reporters outside State Supreme Court in Manhattan, Feb. 11, 2025. Stephen Bannon, a top adviser during President Trump’s first term and a key figure among his supporters, said Elon Musk wants to “play-act as God” as part of his push to overhaul the federal government. (Jefferson Siegel/The New York Times)
13 hours ago

Bannon Calls Musk a ‘Parasitic Illegal Immigrant’

13 hours ago

Fresno Weather Forecast: Pretty as a Postcard

13 hours ago

Kennedy Says ‘Nothing’ Off-Limits in Scrutinizing Chronic Disease

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Search

Send this to a friend