Francis Sears

Francis William Sears, 68, of Athol, Idaho, ascended to our Heavenly Father on July 15th after a valiant battle with cancer.

Frank entered the world as firstborn on a warm summer day, July 12th, 1955, to Albert and Doris Sears in Los Angeles, CA. He was raised in Penn Valley, CA, with his father, mother, and three brothers. A "born leader," Frank was a leader of every club and organization he joined. To mention a few, Boy Scouts of America Senior Patrol Leader, Ready Springs Union School Student body President, and President of Future Farmers of America, Nevada Union HS. During his senior year in high school, he won the coveted Grand Champion Steer award at the Nevada County Fair. From the age of 9 years old, he worked at Brown's Dairy in Penn Valley, mentored by Melvin "Lee" Brown. At age 12, he was the lead dairyman during twice-a-day milkings. In his teens, Frank was always known throughout the area as a hard, reliable worker.

After graduating from Nevada Union High School in 1973, a consummate patriot, he joined the US Army. After serving during the Vietnam War, he left the Army and returned to Penn Valley to pursue a career in carpentry, following in the footsteps of the grandfather he loved.

In the late 70s, Frank met Debbie Luce; they fell in love and married in 1980. After selling their property in Rough & Ready in 1993, they moved, with their 3 children, to Idaho.

Frank had a passion for NASCAR. To his great delight, he loved toying with hotrods, especially his Pontiac Firebird.

Frank is preceded in death by his parents, Albert and Doris, and all four grandparents, Francis & Josephine Foucher and William & Harriet Brandt. He is survived by his three younger brothers, Charles, Steven, and John. His wife, Debbie, and their three children, Joshua, Jeremy, and Kalee. Grandchildren, Zachary, Emily, Lucy, and Sophia.

On September 16th, Frank's ashes were released into the Clark Fork River in Montana, by close family members, near his parents' final resting place.