Warren Francis
BIDDEFORD — Warren Isaac Francis, 80, of Biddeford, Maine, passed away at the Maine Medical Center in Portland on Feb. 23, 2022.
Warren was born on Dec. 12, 1941 in Biddeford, Maine. He was the second child of Howard & Arline (Graffam) Francis.
As a child, Warren and his father, Howard, enjoyed listening to the Cowboy serials on the radio and then on television when it came to the area. They also both enjoyed the cowboy comic books of stars such as Roy Rogers, Gene Autry, Lash Larue, the Lone Ranger, and Warren’s personal favorite, Hopalong Cassidy, amongst many others.
In 1967, while working in the Belfast, Maine Area for Lucas Tree Company, He would meet and marry Evelyn Ripley, who had five children. Warren took to being a father like a duck takes to water and truly was a “Great Dad.” Even though he worked long hours, he would always be there for his children’s activities no matter how tired he was. He also had a general love of music and liked to play his guitar.
He worked for Maplewood Poultry for many years and enjoyed being the Union Shop Steward for several of those years. When Maplewood closed, he moved over to Penobscot Poultry. In 1984, Warren moved back to the Biddeford area, where he would remain the rest of his life.
Family was very important to Warren and he continued to visit the Belfast area, attending cookouts, Thanksgiving dinner, etc. He was also very close with his family in the Biddeford area.
After retiring from Lucas Tree Company, he enjoyed listening to music on YouTube, adding to his Elvis Presley record and book collection, his Cowboy movie collection and making scrapbooks with his great-nephew, Dylan, from pictures and comic book covers of the cowboys he had enjoyed in his youth.
Warren was preceded in death by: his parents, Arline and Howard; two brothers from his father’s first marriage, George A. and Howard W. Francis; his former wife Evelyn; several brother-in-laws; and his childhood best friend, Richard Millard.
Warren is survived by: his sisters, Norma (Francis) Houle and Louise (Francis) Hoffmeister; children, Sandra Philbrick and her husband Butch, Kean Ripley and his wife Ruth, Randal Ripley and his wife Pilar, daughter Pam Ripley, and step-daughters Linda Nash and her husband Craig and Rhonda Hart and her husband John; Special Nephew, James Houle and his wife Misty; grandchildren, Brieannah, Arrianne, Nick, Mike, Amber, Randy, Nigel and Shayla; eight great-grandchildren; four Special great-nephews Andrew, Bradley, Dylan and Chase; other nieces and nephews from his brother, George; and his loving cat, Buddy.
There will be a graveside service at 1 p.m. on Saturday June 11, 2022, at the Marriner Cemetery, Rte. 173, Searsmont, Maine. Following the service there will be a post-funeral reception at the Searsmont Community Center, 37 Main St. South, Searsmont, Maine.
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