William Francis

WILLIAM WALLACE FRANCIS, age 89, died on September 3, 2019 of heart failure.

Wally was born on March 16, 1930, son of Charles T. Francis and Eleanor Bell Francis. He graduated from Swarthmore College, served in the US Navy as Ensign, and earned a degree from Columbia University Graduate School. He had a long career at the U.S. State Department heading the Information Systems Office. He met Mary Rae Law, or Mamie as she was known to her friends, at Swarthmore College and they married in 1952. They had five children: Jeffrey James, Thomas Andrew, Lynn Elliot, Nicholas Alexander and Daniel Gregory. His youngest son, Danny, died at the age of ten from leukemia. Wally and Mamie lived a vigorous and happy life at their home in Maryland before Mamie died of cancer in 2003. Wally spent his remaining years living part-time in New Hampshire, bringing wit, intelligence, and hard work to bear on many projects there, the conservation of forested land to protect the New Hampshire watershed chief among them. He is survived by four children, eight grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. The family will hold a memorial service in the summer of 2020.The Harris Center for Conservation Education at 83 King's Highway, Hancock, NH 03449 is accepting donations in his name.