Francine Ann Burris

Obituary for FRANCINE ANN BURRIS
July 20, 1937 – July 31, 2025
Francine Ann Burris passed away on July 31, 2025, at the age of 88 years old, at Cadia Healthcare Broadmeadow, Middletown, Delaware, after a short illness. She was born on July 20, 1937, in New York, New York, to the late Louise Maiese Lamberta and the late Joseph Morreale. She is predeceased by her infant son, John Preston Burris, her great granddaughter, Alison Lorena Davis, her half-sister, Lisa Espinoza, and her son-in-law, Robert M. Kinsey, Sr.
Francine obtained her GED and, later, a Real Estate License. Francine raised her family and worked as a real estate agent. She also worked side-by-side with her husband for many years, in the Standardbred Horse Racing Industry. Most notably, she worked for I.L.C. Industries, in Frederica, Delaware, during the 1960s. She cut and sewed spacesuits for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. In 1971, Francine was an I.L.C. Honoree in Florida, where she was presented with an Apollo Achievement Award by NASA "in appreciation of dedicated service to the nation as a member of the team which has advanced the nation's capabilities in aeronautics and space and demonstrated them in many outstanding accomplishments culminating in Apollo 11's successful achievement of man's first landing on the moon, July 20, 1969." Among the VIPs at the event were astronauts Richard Gordon and Gordon Cooper.
Francine loved to travel. She took her daughters on a tour of the Tuscan region of Italy. She and her husband traveled abroad and throughout the US. Francine also loved to gather her family for Sunday dinners, holidays, and annual "beach week" vacations.
Francine is survived by her husband of almost 73 years, George Preston Burris, Jr., three daughters, Patricia Ann Burris, Donna Lynn Cantillon (Jimmy), Louise Kinsey (Freddie), four grandsons, Paul Davis, James Preston Cantillon (Maya), Bobby Kinsey, Jr. (Jennie), and Preston Kinsey (Jill), one granddaughter, Jessica Lynn Cantillon, one great granddaughter, Scarlett Kinsey, and one great grandson, Greyson Kinsey.
Services will be on Thursday, August 7, 2025, at Faries Funeral Home. Visitation starts at 10:00 a.m., with a service at 11:00 a.m., followed by graveside services at Odd Fellows Cemetery.