JOHN DAVID FRANCIS

David was born in 1942 in Montreal where he shared family life with his parents, Barbara and John, his older brother, Stephen (all predeceased), and his Donnelly and Douglas relatives who lived in the same neighbourhood. Augusts were a special time when the Francis and Donnelly families enjoyed the salt air, spectacular sunsets and northern lights at the family summer house at Bic on the lower St. Lawrence River. David also spent many happy days with the Douglas and later the Tindale clan in the Laurentians at "En Haut" and Dunany and in the Eastern Townships at the house that his parents built near Sutton. After graduating from McGill with a B.A. in languages, David studied acting at the London Academy of Dramatic Arts. Never one to be constricted by physical or spiritual boundaries, David's skills were broadened during 20 years of acting in the United Kingdom, Europe and India. Upon his return to Canada, David co-created and acted in Paper Wheat, was a member of the Stratford Festival for eight years, acted in theatre productions across Canada and wrote and toured his wonderful one-man play on Stephen Leacock for Geordie Theatre. He appeared in many movies and television series including Marguerite Volant, a massive hit in Quebec in 1996. With calm acceptance, he faced six months of paralysis caused by Guillain Barre Syndrome, then Parkinson's disease and blindness. His days were filled with visits and calls to and from much-loved friends and relatives, some of whom read stories to him. Our calls to him were lessons in patience and voice trajectory so that David could hear us above his radio set at high volume to CBC Radio One. In his later years, two steadfast cousins, Celia Donnelly and Chrys Tindale, who managed all of David's affairs and medical appointments, earned the family's admiration and gratitude. On January 13, 2026, David died of pneumonia, at 83 years of age. David will be remembered by family, friends and audiences all over the world who were enriched by his kindness, his ideas, stories, sense of humour and his deep spirituality. His family would like to thank the staff at St. Margaret's Residential Centre in Montreal for their care and compassion over the last three years. A Celebration of Life will be held in Montreal later this year.