Ortonville-A local family is mourning this week, following the unexpected deaths of three members.
Richard Francis, 63, his wife Patricia, 64, and their daughter Lori, 33, died suddenly on Dec. 31, 2006 in their Charleston, W.Va. home. The family has many Ortonville area ties.
Richard’s brothers, John and Dennis Francis, of Ortonville, Gary, of Goodrich and sister Janice Robinson, of Ortonville, said their brother was a man with intense love and sense of responsibility for his family.
Patricia and Richard were married on Aug. 26, 1972 at St. Anne Catholic Church, 825 S. Ortonville Road in Ortonville.
Patricia, a 1960 graduate of Holly High School, had been battling cancer since December 2005, said Dennis Francis, and the experience was frustrating and heartbreaking for Richard, a retired coal miner.
‘She was an extremely intelligent person,? said Dennis. ‘She held a lot of office jobs and was extremely good at all of them.?
Dennis added that Patricia was a ‘voracious reader,? often pouring through as many as ten books a week.
‘She was a wonderful person who made everyone feel at home,? he said.
Like Patricia, Richard was a Brandon High School graduate, and co-captain of the football team. He is remembered by family members as a perfectionist and a skilled wood craftsman, able to endear himself to others.
Dennis remembers his brother as a man who was both helpful and kind, reaching out to others regardless of social or ethnic barriers.
Lori, a 1991 graduate of Brandon High School, is remembered as being similarly kind.
‘She was such a sweet girl,? said Richard’s sister-in-law, Dianne Francis. ‘She loved her cousins. She lived far away and when she could come to visit, she just loved it.?
Lori graduated from the University of Charleston with BS and RN degrees. She worked for some time as a traveling nurse before being recently employed by Blue Cross Blue Shield in Charleston.
The family traveled to Charleston for a funeral service in early January.
A memorial service is scheduled for 11 a.m., Jan. 20 at St. Anne Catholic Church, 825 S. Ortonville Road in Ortonville. A memorial luncheon will follow. Donations may be made to Genesys Hospice, 7280 M-15, Goodrich.