Frances (Fran) L. Gaines, 88, of Marysville, WA and a 50-year resident of Natick, passed away on Thursday, 18 November 2010; she was lovingly surrounded by her family.
Simply put, Fran was a warm, fun-loving extrovert. Witty and intelligent, she had an engaging sense of humor and razor-sharp timing. Hip and liberal, she loved to dance, listen to music and travel. She also loved good food and dining out with friends and family, always managing to save room for her favorite part of the meal, dessert. Most importantly, she was genuinely interested in other people, a trait that made her adored by many.
Born in Boston to Julius and Ida Levin, Fran was a graduate of Roxbury Memorial High School for Girls, where she fast became a voracious reader and impeccable bookkeeper. Her taste in and flair for fashion was equally impeccable. She met and became immediately smitten with August Gaines, whom she wed in 1943 and shared her life with until his passing in 1989.
Fran maintained the books at her father's Boston-based millinery and handbag business. She later held a secretarial position at the Quartermaster Research and Development Command in Natick, followed by a long career in cosmetics at Filene's, from which she retired in the late 1980's. Later in her retirement, she enjoyed volunteering at the Natick Senior Center, where she formed close friendships with co-workers.
She generously devoted her heart and energies to her children and to her beloved family dogs. She will be missed beyond measure by her daughters, Cheryl A. Casey of Milford, MA, and dj davisson and Carla C. Arnold of Marysville, WA; her granddaughters Julianne and Kelly Casey of Milford, MA; and her nephews, Peter and Tony Levin of New York.
Relatives and friends are invited to a service to celebrate Fran's life on Wednesday, 01 December at 10:00 A.M. in the John Everett and Sons Funeral Home, 4 Park Street, Natick Common.
In lieu of sending flowers, friends and family are encouraged to make donations in Fran's memory to organizations she supported: Natick Community Senior Center at http://natickcsc.org/Donate.html; the Greater Northwest Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society at http://www.nationalmssociety.org/chapters/was/donate/index.aspx; or The Northwest Organization for Animal Help (N.O.A.H) at http://www.thenoahcenter.org/donate/member.html.