Frances Bigelow

Passed away gently and peacefully in her home on September 14, 2010 with her much loved husband and best friend Dick at her side. Her last days were spent surrounded by her husband, her loving children and grandchildren and dear friends. Born April 5, 1928 Fran was first generation American and Californian. Her parents, Rufina Mateos and Peter Muñoz emigrated from Spain with their families, eventually settling in Watsonville, California where Fran was born. She graduated from the University of California Berkeley, where she met her life long partner and husband of 59 years Dick. They married in 1951, living first in Oakland and later Castro Valley California where she spent the next years raising their five children. In 1962 they moved to Santa Rosa, and Fran became an active member of AAUW where she and Dick met and made many of their lifelong friends. Fluent in Spanish, and eager to share her skills, Fran began work as a Public Health Aide for the County of Sonoma in 1971. She considered her greatest career achievement her work as a Sonoma County Juvenile Probation Officer where she began working in 1974. Highly skilled at reaching and communicating with young offenders and their families, Fran was greatly respected and much loved by her colleagues. Eager to spend more time at their Jenner cabin, extend their Baja camping adventures and to attend Elderhostels with Dick, she retired in 1988 after 14 years of service. In retirement, Fran joined Dick as an active community volunteer, splitting her time and energy between Luther Burbank Home and Gardens, the VNA Hospice Thrift Store, Salt Point Docents and the Stewards of Slavianka. However, Fran loved and missed the work at Probation, and soon she was back working as a translator. It wasn't long before she was recruited to resume work as a Probation Officer. At the age of 82, Fran was working up to 30 hours per week, sharing a caseload of 105 youth offenders. Twenty-two years to the day after her first retirement, Fran retired for the second time on April 5, 2010. She read voraciously, played with several Bridge groups, swam three times weekly with her "Pool Babes", and completed her daily crossword puzzles - in ink - up through the end of her life. Her incredible wit, humor and energy is sorely missed by us all. Fran is survived by her beloved husband Dick; loving children Nancy Muñoz Bigelow, David Cartmill Bigelow, Jane Maria Bunting (Scott), Paul Mateos Bigelow (Victoria), and Martha Ann Cole (John); grandchildren Christopher and Laura Bunting, Cooper Bigelow, Sam Aguirre, Carmel Aguirre C'de Baca (Nathan); and great grandchild Evan C'de Baca; sisters Dolores Mullikin and Christine Tejada; numerous nieces and nephews and many close extended family members. At her request, no service will be held. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Memorial Hospice, whose compassionate nurses and staff guided Fran and her family through her end of life passage with dignity, understanding, humor and grace. Arrangements entrusted to: LAFFERTY & SMITH COLONIAL CHAPEL Directors (707)539.2921