Francis, John Wesley 1941 - 2021

FRANCIS, JOHNSON, PEYTON, SCOTT, MEADOWS

Posted By: Joy Moore (email)
Date: 11/26/2021 at 12:39:26

A
U.S. Veteran

John Wesley Francis, 80 of Spillville, Iowa, passed away at home on Wednesday, November 17, 2021. John was born in Middletown, Ohio on April 6, 1941. He was the son of John and Mary (Johnson) Francis.

He was educated in the Middletown school system. Right after high school he worked for Armco Steel in Middletown. Shortly, about that same time his father needed to move south for his health so John being the youngest of his siblings was elected to move with his father to Bradenton, Florida. In Bradenton he worked for Tropicana until he enlisted in the army. He served in the Vietnam era. After discharge he enrolled in the local community college and received his AA degree in computer science. This led him to a career in the computer field.

When in 1973 a new hospital was being built in Bradenton, he applied for the IT position and was the seventh person hired for the hospital. Here he met Shirley who was the twenty third person hired in the same hospital as their Registered Dietitian. They married on November 25, 1977. After working at the same hospital for a few years John went on to work at a few other places, the last being at Sarasota Memorial Hospital as their System Analyst.

John in his teenage years sang in his church and on the radio and had such a great voice that he was asked to go on tour with a country band. His mother said NO…he would be too corrupted by being on the road. He was often asked to speak on the radio because of this voice.

In 2000, John and Shirley were tired of the heat, traffic and congestion of Florida and decided to retire to Iowa to be close to her family. John worked at Seed Savers Exchange in Decorah for a few years before retiring fully around 2006. He loved his dog, Dallas and was famous for walking him around the block and around the cemetery at St. Wenceslaus Church. He enjoyed playing golf, having joined South Winneshiek Country Club. He had a large workshop under their 3-car garage in which he enjoyed woodworking, rock tumbling and anything else Shirley could think of.

John was preceded in death by his parents, his brothers, James, Ralph, Russell, Earl and Carl, his sisters, Darlene (Francis) Peyton, Lorretta (Francis) Scott, his daughter, Jo Ellen Francis, and son, John Francis, III.

He leaves his wife, Shirley of Spillville; son, Dana (Belinda) Francis of Bradenton, their son Dalton; son, Derrick (Leslie) Francis, their son Jayden; daughter Rebecca (Francis) Meadows of Kentucky and her children, grandchildren; sisters-in-law Joyce Francis, Barbara Francis of Ohio and many nieces, nephews, cousins, grandchildren, great grandchildren.

John had a request to donate his body to the Mayo Clinic but due to Covid restrictions they were not able to accept his body. He will be cremated, and his ashes buried later at a private family ceremony.

Because of his great love of animals and his dog, consider a donation in his memory to your local Humane Society.

Source: Schluter-Balik Funeral home database