Cindy Francis

Dear family and friends,

On May 24, 2022, my beautiful wife of fifty years, Cindy Francis, breathed her last.  I am beyond grief at losing her.  Those fortunate enough to have known her remember her as a woman who brought joy to life.  Her quick wit, her passion for the things she believed in, her meticulous nature and most of all her wonderful caring spirit brought life to all she touched.

She cared deeply for our homeless neighbors.  She tirelessly worked on their behalf and always did her best to make their lives a little bit better.  She was frustrated at times by those who treated them as “less than.”

We loved walking together and had many adventures throughout the world hiking through the countryside. We hiked in Ireland, England, Germany, France, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Belgium, Scotland, Swiss Alps; as well as our adventures in Oregon.  She especially loved hiking at Silver Falls State Park and taking trips to the ocean.  We also loved doing our daily walks through Wallace Marine park, over the pedestrian bridge to Riverfront park and sometimes onward to Minto-Brown park.

Cindy was born March 11, 1950, in Boonville, Missouri, to Lee and Lucille (Corbin) McClure.  She was the oldest daughter.  Her sisters are Linnette and Leslie.  Cindy was much like her father and the saying Lee loved to quote about himself—“the sun always shines on Lee McClure”—fits her to a tee.

We married at the Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri, May 14, 1972.  We were both young hippies and we remained so even after we outwardly no longer looked the part.  We were so lucky to have two daughters, Rachel (on the right in the above photo) and Shoshana (on the left).  Rachel married Lance Case and they have two children, Faust and Izzi.  Shoshana has a son, Gus.

Cindy’s profession was as a nurse and she was born for it.  Her specialty was labor and delivery and postpartum.  She was the consummate professional whose high standards were admired by her colleagues.  I don’t know how many babies she brought into the world and how many mothers she helped, but like ripples in a pond she touched many, many lives.

Her beautiful life was brought to an end by pancreatic cancer.  In just two short months, it struck her down.  Yet, throughout all of this her spirit was strong and vital.  She fought to the very end.  Her last great effort was to celebrate our 50th wedding anniversary and she gave her last effort to enjoy that time with friends.

Speaking of friends, I do not know how Cindy and I could have made it through these terrible days had it not been for a special group of friends who worked tirelessly on our behalf.  You know who you are and and you have a special place in our hearts.

Finally, I write these words to you, my dear Cindy,  You are my heart, my soul, my life. I promise you that I will carry my love for you for the rest of my days.  You are everything to me.  We had such great adventures together, didn’t we?  We travelled the world together and experienced things that we never imagined we could do.

Cindy, my beloved, I will never meet another person in this world quite like you.  I will never let you go.

For all our friends, there will be a special memorial service at the Unitarian Universalist church in Salem.  Cindy will be interred at High Point Cemetery, near Sedalia, Missouri, next to her parents.

With deepest love,

Your Bobby