Francis R. "Fran" McLean

Francis 'Fran' R. McLean Jan. 8, 2024 - Nov. 23, 1931

KUNA, FORMERLY OF ONTARIO

I love you, dad with all my heart and writing your obituary breaks that heart, having to acknowledge to myself you're gone. But, what is gone is not the true essence of the amazing man with the incomparable spirit I have known the entirety of my life. That beautiful spirit, now soaring as an eagle.

Francis "Fran" R. McLean passed away January 8, 2024 at the age of 92 at hospice in Nampa, Idaho. A beloved man of kindness and generosity to all who knew him. Greeting you with smile always, eager to tell you a joke, but always getting the first laugh in before his punchline (because he just loved to laugh and connect with others), or lending a kind word of cheer or encouragement to everyone he met. He always had an eagerness to learn, readily met new people who became fast friends, and told me right before his 92nd birthday, "he just loved life!" This was simply who he was. He loved God, his family and friends, and his community of Ontario. His service to others always came first in his life. In his later years I'd asked him, "Dad, is there a hobby you'd like to pursue?" He quickly replied, "I just want to help you. That's what I enjoying doing!"

Fran was born at his parents home in Newton Falls, Ohio on November 23, 1931, a full two months premature at only seven months. He was ready to get going and "love his life," right away! He enjoyed his childhood on his family's small farm with his four brothers, parents and grandfather. Those wonderful years taught him the value of hard work, as well as all the great times he recalled to me. He worked with his carpenter father, assisting on home building and working at the family pet store too. Dad was in charge of making sure the little "Curious George" monkeys at the store didn't get into too much trouble! He enjoyed raising chickens to sell, became an excellent photographer taking photo's throughout his community, and assisted his mother in growing a large vegetable garden each year. He participated in all the high school sports teams, usually with a brother or two by his side. He was an excellent baseball player, later playing shortstop for his college's varsity team. He had a great work ethic, as many of his generation did, working full time in the summer months starting at age 12. After his high school graduation in 1950 he attended Bowling Green State University in Bowling Green, Ohio. It wasn't an easy road, but dad was always up for a big challenge. He worked in a steel mill and painted houses and barns during the summer months to afford college. At BGSU he was on the varsity baseball team, a member of a fraternity, in the United States Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps program, as well as a late-night cook at a diner in his little college town. It was at BGSU dad met the love of his life, my mom Joyce Belford. At that point he had to fit in time for dances, moonlight walks, and ice skating with his love. Fran graduated from BGSU in 1955 with a BS degree in Publication Management.

After college graduation Fran went directly into the USAF as a Second Lieutenant pilot. He was primarily stationed at Lincoln Nebraska Air Force base from 1955-1959, flying a KC-97 air refueler with many missions to Greenland and Newfoundland. Dad and mom married November 1957, with mom joining dad in Lincoln. He completed his USAF career with the rank of Captain. In 1959, at the end of his military service, they moved to Niles, Ohio where he became an advertising salesman for the Niles newspaper owned by Wick Communications. In 1962 their son, Scott was born, and in 1964, I joined the family. After several years Dad became the newspaper's ad manager and a busy member of the Niles business and civic community. When his company decided to purchase a weekly newspaper in Oregon in 1968, The Argus Observer, dad heeded the call of adventure and headed to Ontario to take over the reigns of the Ontario newspaper. He was excited to begin a new venture in publishing and growing a newspaper in the west, and starting a new life with his young family. Dad immediately loved his new community and all the many friends he made here. He grew the newspaper in a very short period of time from publishing three days a week to six. He envisioned a modern new building for the newspaper, taking it from an old car dealership building on SW 4th Avenue, to its current location across from Treasure Valley Community College campus in 1978. I recall his tremendous enthusiasm taking visitors on tours of the new building! He was so proud of that modern structure housing his growing newspaper, but more importantly proud of the employees of the Argus Observer and their numerous accomplishments and achievements. The newspaper won many awards and received notable state distinctions in Oregon under his leadership. He always gave full credit to the staff and their tremendous efforts, always believing in his team! I recall him personally receiving recognition from AP for his photography of a wild horse round-up in southern Malheur County in the 1970's. He leaned out the helicopter door to get some pretty dramatic photo's of the thundering horses below.

His passion for the Ontario and surrounding area was boundless. He was chairman of more organizations that I can probably remember. But, here goes the list! Ontario Chamber of Commerce President, Kiwanis President, Mental Health Governing Board Chairman, Boy Scouts Governing Board Chairman, Holy Rosary Hospital Chairman, Chairman of Four Rivers Cultural Center Board, Malheur County Fair Board, Malheur County Water Resource Committee, Treasure Valley Patrons of the Arts, Ontario Industries, Inc., and President of the Oregon Newspaper Association. He was also eager to be on local, state of Oregon, and federal job training boards, chairing many of those types of organizations for numerous decades. He had a strong desire to see vocational education expand, creating good paying jobs for students pursuing this type of education. In the 1990's US Secretary of Labor, Elizabeth Dole presented dad with a JPTA National award in Washington, D.C., for his contribution and role in expanding job training. He was also awarded the JPTA Governor Service Award by Governor Neil Goldschmidt.

He began the Christmas charity organization, Help-Them-to-Hope in 1972 in the lobby at the Argus Observer. Dad wanted to assist families in need in the Ontario and surrounding communities during the holiday season with food, toys and other needed items. He expressed many times to me his conviction that a child should always receive a toy or bike at Christmas, and every family should have a good meal during the holidays. This was his simple mission, caring for others. And HTTH organization is still going strong over 50 years later. I can recall dad receiving a call on Christmas Eve maybe just six years ago, concerning a family in Fruitland needing help. HTTH had already completed its holiday delivery season run, so dad took it upon himself to personally deliver to this family's home, toys and food that evening. And, knowing dad, a lot of kindness and love too. He really wanted to personally help people, and he did.

My dad and mom conceived the idea of building a performing arts center on the TVCC campus in the late 1970's (along with friends John Kirby and Wayne Phillips, TVCC drama chair/instructor). At that time there were very few options to hold any type of live performance, special event or a convention in the Ontario area. It was just a dream at that early juncture, but after many years of planning, it manifested into it's current reality of the Four Rivers Cultural Center. Dad also conceptualized a museum alongside the auditorium, honoring the various nationalities contributing to the formation of this four rivers region. He spent many years diligently working on funding his FRCC vision. He garnered federal and private funding, over the course of many years, to make the cultural center a future reality for the Ontario community. But I can tell you the secret of how he made it all come together. It was his special ability, his own inherent magic, connecting so well with everyone, that breathed life into this cultural center vision. He just knew what the cultural center could create as a venue for the arts, education and commerce, and what this center would symbolize to those in the local communities for many generations to come.

Dad had great joy in all his hobbies and interests throughout his life, enjoying those interests with so many friends. Although he was pretty competitive in his pursuit of golf and racquetball I never saw him not have a great time on the course or the court. He particularly enjoyed playing racquetball against his best buddy, Jim Jones, Ontario Police Chief! Boy, did those two guys play hard!

He was a member of St. Matthew's Episcopal Church, Ontario for many years. He also loved his property on the Oregon Slope where he grew a big vegetable garden, fruit trees, grape arbor, and lovely roses for mom. He had a deep green thumb, whether it could be grown in the local region or not, he'd ventured to grow it. Sharing the bounty of his harvest with others meant a great deal to him. Sometimes sharing that harvest wasn't always with humans, but with the deer or birds that wandered in or flew by his place. He loved animals, too. In later years he enjoyed simple, quiet contemplation, looking out over his view and the valley below with mom. Watching the deer stroll by in the early hours, with the magnificent sunrises before them, was a blessed ritual each day, sipping their morning coffee. Fran and Joy had a wonderful marriage for over 63 years, until mom's passing in January 2021.

I recall how dad enjoyed working at Festival of Trees during the holiday season in his retirement years. He was proud of the great work the team did, headed up by Debbie Blackaby, to raise funds for numerous local charities. It was a lot of fun for him setting up trees with this group of friends. He also enjoyed the opening night of the event, talking to guests as they filtered in to bid on the fanciful holiday creations, or just visiting with old friends as they strolled through the joyous event. He loved socializing with everyone!

Dad received a special Dream Honor Flight for US Veteran's over the Emmett, Idaho region in September 2023. He was a passenger in a two-seat WWII bi-plane. He talked about this exciting flight for months, after that beautiful day in the air. Thank you Becca and staff at The Cottages in Payette for providing this wonderful, and amazing opportunity for dad, and also for their great care of dad while he lived there.

My gratitude and thanks also to Alyssa and her staff at LuNa House hospice in Nampa, Idaho for their great care of my precious dad at a difficult time. Their kindness to dad and me was exceptional.

Fran was preceded in death by his wife Joyce; a premature child; his father and mother, Francis and Dorothy; his brothers Horace "Mac" and Gordon; and two sister-in-laws, Madeline and Mary Jane. He leaves behind his son Scott; daughter Heather (Travis); brothers Charles (Barbara) and Robert (Sonya); sister-in-law, Pat; and numerous nieces and nephews, including a special nephew Brian and niece Caroline. Tiger the cat was his special buddy in later years. He followed dad everywhere he went on his rural property, an inseparable duo. Dad was also loved by my dog pack he affectionately called "my kids," including Shula the Saint Bernard, Heidi the German Shepherd, and Tua the little Maltipoo who greatly misses playing ball with grandpa.

A memorial service and celebration of Fran's incredible life is planned at the Four Rivers Cultural Center at the Meyer-McLean Auditorium on Saturday, April 20, 2024, from 1-3 pm. We honor this community and are very grateful for all your love and support. We invite everyone to attend this Celebration of Life, for a very special man, our father and our friend. If you would like to make a donation in Fran's name his favorite charities are Help-Them-to-Hope, which provides food, bikes, toys and other items to those in need in the local communities. The mailing address for donations is: Help-Them-to-Hope, P.O. Box 55, Ontario, Or. 97914. Another important cause dad loved was the Japanese Garden at the Four Rivers Cultural Center. Funds go towards expanding and increasing the lovely landscaping of this serene community garden. The mailing address for donations is: Four Rivers Cultural Center, Japanese Garden/Fran McLean, 676 SW 6th Avenue, Ontario, Or. 97914.

I know he'd want you to remember him as a joyful and happy person because that's how he lived each day of his life! He would desire all of us to have that same kind of zest and joy for life, too! His vibrant smile and joyous laugh will be forever imprinted on my heart. He was my best friend, the best person I've ever known. Dad, going forward without you is the most difficult thing I've ever had to do. I love you forever, beyond all time. I am grateful for your impeccable character and how you treated everyone with kindness, respect and love. I am forever grateful for the heartfelt love and friendship you always gave me. That love will never end.