Rod P. I. Francis

1940 - 2021

August 1, 1940 - March 2, 2021 Born August 1, 1940 in Yerrington, NV, passed away on March 2, 2021 at his home in Winnetka, peacefully with his family. He died, after a long battle with congestive heart failure. Rod initially wanted to be a veterinarian, but joined the Army right out of high school. While in the Army, he became a Parachutist in the 101st Airborne. He served three tours in Vietnam and received a Purple Heart, while protecting General Wesmoreland, for whom he was a driver for. After the Army, he worked for Pepsi as a salesman and hung signs on high rise buildings in Jacksonville, FL. He also worked as a mechanic at his brother Chuck's auto repair shop on 1st and Fairfax in Los Angeles for numerous years. In his later years, he worked in the front office until he retired. He got certified as a recreational scuba diver in the seventies. His love for the ocean and scuba grew from there. He became a SCUBA Instructor, teaching for Los Angeles County, YMCA, NAUI, and PADI. He also taught CPR and 1st Aid for the American Red Cross and for many years taught SCUBA and repaired SCUBA gear at Reef Seekers Dive Co. and West Coast Divers Supply. He also worked as a Divermaster and deckhand on the dive boats Magician, Explorer, and Sea Bass. He has logged thousands of dives all over the world and taught hundreds of people how to scuba dive. He is survived by his daughter, Kimberly, son, Rick, son-in-law, Michael, his son's girlfriend, Sandy, granddaughter, Ellie, and grandson, Seth. His siblings; Marion, Chuck, Frank, June, Allen, Hazel, John, Sam and Marjy, and his numerous nieces and nephews. He is proceeded in death by his mother, Martha, father, Lloyd, brothers, Larry, Len, and Lloyd, his daughter Ellie, and his wife Mary Sue. A Celebration of life will be on Sunday August 1, 2021 in Granada Hills, CA.