Françoise McMurtrie

1924 - 2025

Françoise McMurtrie
Françoise Lise Thérèse Regnault McMurtrie, a homemaker, substitute French teacher, and interpreter for the British Army, died on Tuesday, September 23, 2025, in Ann Arbor, MI, at the age of 100. She was born on November 29, 1924, in Sanvic, France, to Charles Henri and Suzanne Françoise Regnault. Because her father was a career military officer, Françoise lived throughout France. The family ultimately settled in Nantes, where they survived the Nazi Occupation and Allied War Bombings.
During the war, Françoise attended the École de Droit (Law School) in Nantes. After law school, she worked as an interpreter for the British Army Staff in Paris and became a Second Lieutenant. She helped English families in distress and vetted French women who wanted to marry Englishmen.
In 1945, Françoise met Robert Lempereur McMurtrie, who was in the U.S. Army, stationed in Paris. They met at a Red Cross dance in Nantes and celebrated VE Day together. When the war ended, Robert returned to the United States to resume his studies at MIT, and they continued to correspond. When Robert came back to France to (purportedly) visit his French relatives, they explored Paris together, walking throughout the beautiful city. After Robert returned to the United States, one of his letters included a marriage proposal. Françoise and Robert were married in Nantes, France, in August 1948. They then came to the United States, living in Cambridge, MA (where James Henri was born), Grand Forks, ND (where Thomas was born), and Midland, MI (where Jacqueline and Claire were born). Françoise and Robert raised their family in Midland, while also treasuring time with extended family and friends at a cottage they bought on Lake Charlevoix in 1965. They moved to Ann Arbor, MI, in 2004, and Robert passed away the following year. Françoise lived in Arbor for another two decades.
When Françoise lived in Cambridge, she worked for André Morize, a Harvard French professor and chairman of the Department of History and Literature. After she moved to Midland in 1955, Françoise founded a French club in which she remained active until she left Midland in 2004. She also worked as a substitute teacher and taught French to adults at the Midland Community Center. Françoise went back to college in 1977 to obtain a teaching major in French at Saginaw Valley State University. She taught French at Midland High School.
Françoise was a beloved wife, mother, and grandmother. She had a way of befriending everyone who entered her orbit because of her vibrant, extroverted, and loving personality. After a stroke took away some of her vitality, she could still charm everyone with her smile. Thanks to her and Robert, all of their children are bilingual. Two (Jim and Tom) majored in French. Françoise was also a beloved aunt (Tante "Fon Fon") to many nieces, nephews, grand-nieces, and grand-nephews. After Robert's death, Françoise's life was enriched by a special friendship with Dr. Anthony Bowdler, with whom she played bridge and shared many common interests until his passing in 2021.
Françoise is survived by her sons, James Henri (Anne) McMurtrie and their daughter, Suzanne (Andy Mitchell), Thomas (Genia Service) and their son, Gary; Jacqueline (William Gales) McMurtrie and their children, Henry and Lillian; and Claire (Dr. Geoffrey Joyce) McMurtrie and their children, Liam and Ella; as well as many nieces and nephews. Her four siblings and their spouses, Jacqueline, Simone, and Jean Moison, Charles (Jean Paul) and Marie Jo Regnault, and Claude and Richard McMurtrie; as well as her in-laws, George McMurtrie, David and Virginia McMurtrie, and Marguerite McMurtrie, predeceased her.
A memorial will take place in the spring in Gorham, NH, when Françoise is laid to rest. In lieu of flowers, Françoise's family invites you to make a donation to Arbor Hospice or to Glacier Hills Colleague Assistance.