Fran can’t fathom why she’s feeling a little more tired these days. At almost 98 years young, her son John encourages her to give herself some leniency. He explains that his mother has always been driven, competitive, successful and on-the-go. “Slowing down is just not part of her personality!”
At Decatur House Fran is very involved in all of the activities. She enjoys playing games, crafting, doing exercises, going on outings, and is frequently visited by her friends and family members.
Fran was born in Sharon, Massachusetts and had a “wonderful family.” She graduated from Sharon High School and took classes at Chandler (University of Massachusetts at Worcester). She and her girlfriends used to take the milk train into Boston to go dancing. That is where she met her husband, John at a dance before the war in the South Pacific. “He was a wonderful person, handsome, and kind,” said Fran.
The two married and moved to Milton where they welcomed two children, son John and daughter Elaine. Fran worked at Filene’s Department Store so she could be home when the kids got home from school. She drove them around and always attended their sporting events. John describes his mom as “kind, loyal and a great mom.”
The family had a lot of traditions. They enjoyed big traditional Italian family dinners every Sunday at Nana Maria’s (Fran’s Mom) and elaborate Christmas Eve celebrations. But the things that remained most special were the simple consistency of family dinners and spending time together at their summer home in Manomet, where they made wonderful memories together.
It wasn’t until the children were a bit older that Fran pursued a career in real estate. It’s no surprise that her tenacity earned her a top broker spot at DeWolfe & Company Real Estate Agency in Milton.
Eventually, Fran and John retired to Osterville half the year and Florida the other half. They both enjoyed golfing and going to the beach. Fran was an avid walker. John came to Decatur House before Fran and we loved having him too.
Fun fact about Fran? She sold Howard Johnson’s house in Milton!
