Francis J. Brennan

My father called him the Wizard of Waterville for obvious reasons. He could fix just about anything and if you needed some obscure item chances are he had one sitting on a shelf somewhere. Many is the time he helped me by repairing one of my old cars with some simple ingenuity. I say simple because it came easily to him. I learned to expect the unexpected. He was a mechanical genius and a kind man. I loved to visit there as a kid because his barns were seemingly filled with magical things. Old car parts and old cars, oil cans and tools galore bore witness to a man who was always working on something. And when he wasn't he was probably at church or helping someone. When he wasn't busy you might find him in the kitchen where he kept a "goody drawer" of baked goods. This too was legendary. I never saw him angry towards anyone but heard that he did exclaim "Why that young pup!" once in front of my parents who said it was the harshest thing they had ever heard him say about anyone.

I stopped to visit him just a week ago. He gave me a smile and told me in a whisper that took considerable effort, "You surprised me." "I do that sometimes," I responded. He then surprised us all by departing on His wife's birthday this past Friday. Uncle Franny, you will be missed.

I have known Francis for about six years at Harding Nursing Home. He knew my father before he was a resident at the Home. He was such a faithful and faith - filled Holy man. All who knew him were blessed by his presence! He will be missed. God bless AL of the family.