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Frances Wilson Obituary
Fran Wilson, a lifelong "farm girl," passed away peacefully in North Andover MA on Saturday with her children, Sharon Johnson and Alan Wilson, by her side. Fran enjoyed the company and conversation of family, friends, and acquaintances more than anything.
Some of her most cherished memories are from growing up on her parents' farm on Burnt Mills Rd in North Branch, NJ, with her twin sister Doris and her two older brothers.
Fran spent her next 30 years in New Village, NJ, raising a family and assisting with the administrative aspects of their family farm. After her children graduated from college, she and her husband, Gene, purchased a farm in the beautiful Finger Lakes Region of New York State. She described their time in Dresden as some of her happiest years.
Family was of utmost importance to Fran. She could never spend enough time with her three children and grandchildren, Alizah, Carly, and Adam Johnson.
Her quick smile, sense of humor, genuine curiosity, and sincere concern for everyone she met allowed her to build a vast community of friends wherever she lived. Her warmth and compassion brought her close to many diverse communities.
A resourceful child of the depression era, Fran was always concerned about the welfare of the planet. She was a very spiritual person and felt that donating her remains to medical research was the right thing to do.
She was predeceased by her husband, Eugene Wilson, and her son, Bruce Wilson.
A memorial service will be held on Saturday, June 7, at 2 p.m. in Temple Beth-El, Geneva, N.Y.
In lieu of flowers, please donate to a charity of your choice.
To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
Memories and Condolences
for Frances Wilson
5 Entries
Allison Ford McKenzie
June 7, 2025
Fran and I met over a discussion of long term care insurance, an unlikely beginning for a 25-year friendship. Bonding over shared politics and despite a 30-year age difference, we became fast friends almost immediately. She was fond of saying she went home to Gene the day we met and said, "I just met someone and you're going to love her!" I said the same thing about Fran.
But I think Fran said that about most people (though like Gene, she was quick to spot phonies and posers and had no use for them). Fran was one of the few people I've known who got more pleasure out of hearing our stories than telling her own, and it's no surprise that she made friends of all ages and from all walks of life everywhere she went. She was genuinely curious about people and encouraged us to be the center of attention, not herself. She laughed easily and hugged ferociously and wanted to hear everything. She said what she thought and was as authentic as they come. It's no wonder people flocked to her.
Fran once drove me to Cornell Veterinary Hospital and took a seat in the enormous waiting room while I accompanied our cat into the clinic. When I came back 45 minutes later she had met everyone in the waiting room and began introducing me, telling me about each person, their pets and their kids. That was just a regular Fran day.
People used to send her pictures of their children and she would splash them all over her fridge and stick them up on the dashboard in her car. She knew and adored them all.
On her 70th birthday, Fran asked all of her guests to wear name tags and let people know how they met her -- buying groceries, cleaning her house, eating ice cream. My personal favorite came from sisters Cathy and Carol who encountered Fran at a farm show: "Met Fran sitting on a hay bale."
Throughout her life Fran gathered friends around her and connected them with each other whenever possible, and we were the beneficiaries of that love she relished sharing.
Right now it's hard to imagine my life without our laughs together, the confidences we shared and her big-hearted generosity. I still look at my clock to time my calls to her, forgetting for a moment that she is no longer here. I will be forever grateful that she was curious about insurance, and to Mike Briggs for being inspired to introduce us.
Mary Czaplak
May 8, 2025
My deepest sympathies to Fran´s family. She was a true gem of a person
Michael McKenzie
May 7, 2025
My wife and I were friends of Fran and her husband Gene for many years. We always looked forward to Fran's infectious smile and her generous hospitality, and it was always a joy to visit both of them on their farm near Dresden. Even though we will always miss her, she still inspires me by her kindness and her ability to connect with everybody she met.
TanyaHoover
May 7, 2025
I knew Fran as a resident of Ashton Place in Clifton Springs. She was a very kind friendly person with a big heart. Who had an infectious smile. RIP Fran
Ben Norton
May 7, 2025
I knew Fran when she was a resident at Ashton Place in Clifton Springs, NY. She was always concerned about others. We often discussed pain relief remedies for my wife that worked for Fran. She was a very caring person.
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