STATESIDE STORIES: In Loving Memory of Frank Foran, 13 May 1926 – 27 September 2014

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By Mary Foran

It still came as a shock, even though the Hospice nurses had warned us that the end was near. His heart, repaired many years before by a triple-bypass, was just too weak to carry on.

He took his last breath, holding my brother Doug’s hand. My brother left and I stayed and prayed with him until the Hospice Nurse and Funeral Home workers came to take him away. It was the end of an era.

No one wanted to wake my mother Patricia to let her know her husband of 68 years had passed away. My sister Diana, who has lived in Spain for 40 years, felt it was better to tell her in the morning.

Thus followed many days of tears and sorrow that the 88 year-old “Paco” as we called him had finally let go. He had fought for life until the very end, sharp as a tack and fiesty all the way. He had just had a new roof put on the house so his beloved Patricia wouldn’t have to worry when he was gone. They had traveled to Spain many times and seen all the sights; Frank loved Spanish mejillones, Rioja, Jamon Serrano and all those wonderful tapas, and he bought many Lladro for Patricia’s collection.

A Mass at St.Anthony’s Catholic Church and interment in their Cemetery was arranged as well as a reception for his many friends and family left behind.

I was his “precious lamb-pot” and he was always my “Daddy”. I will miss his strong character and guidance. Here is his story as told lovingly by his son Douglas:

Francis Bernard “Frank” Foran, who was originally from Vancouver, B.C., Canada, took his last breath at home in Tigard, Oregon, at 12:25 a.m. on Saturday, September 27, 2014, due to complications from congestive heart failure. Frank defied the odds and lived for almost two years in home hospice by a combination of sheer strength of will and the dedicated care of Housecall Providers, Providence Hospice and his family members. He was 88 years old.

Frank is survived by his beloved wife of 68 years, Patricia Anne, and their children Diana, Douglas and Mary. His oldest son, Richard, died of congestive heart failure and pulmonary fibrosis in 2013. Frank had four grandchildren: Vanessa, Marcos, Caren and Paula — Diana’s children, all born in Villalba, Madrid, Spain; one great-grandson, Jaime (son of Marcos and granddaughter-in-law Eva); and many nieces, nephews and cousins in Canada, where he was born on May 13, 1926.

Frank was the son of John and Kathleen Foran, of Vancouver, Canada. His brothers, Elmer, Thomas and Patrick, predeceased him.

When he was a teenager in Canada, Frank met and fell in love with Patricia Anne Storer, virtually the “girl next door”, and they married in 1946 before moving to the Seattle area.

Frank supported his young family by delivering newspapers in his car, then was hired by Union Oil in 1950, where he eventually became a service station manager. He took the oath of United States citizenship in 1952 and later joined Richfield Oil Corporation (which became Atlantic Richfield – ARCO – in 1966), where he climbed the company ladder over a 30-year career.

Frank rose to the position of Commercial Sales Manager before having to take early retirement in 1979 because he declined to accept a forced transfer to California of his family from Oregon, where they had lived since 1962. Although Frank was devastated and adrift, he was buttressed by the steadfast encouragement of his wife Patricia. Since he was a wiz at math, he decided to enter a totally new field at age 53: stocks and bonds and financial planning. He helped grow the portfolios of many clients, and he became a friend to all of them. In each of his occupational endeavors, Frank was known as a hard worker. His natural charm and ready smile helped him become a successful salesman in the petroleum and financial services industries.

He was a long-time member of the International Association of Financial Planners, a Life Member of the Elks (51 years) based at the Beaverton, Oregon, Lodge No. 1989, and a Lifetime Member of the Portland Chamber of Commerce. In acknowledgment of his top performance in selling Chamber memberships, Frank won the Distinguished Service Award from the Chamber. He also received a certificate of recognition from the National Association of Securities Dealers.

Frank loved music: He had a beautiful tenor singing voice and could whistle any song with rich vibrato. He sang in the Men’s Choir at St. Rita’s Catholic Church in Portland for many years. He also played the clarinet and a few songs on the piano. He also loved sports: In his prime, Frank was almost 6 ft. 4 in. tall and played golf, swam, dove off bridges into rivers and excelled at Vancouver’s Kitsilano High School as a high jumper, javelin thrower and box lacrosse player. Frank enjoyed playing basketball, billiards, darts, card games and horseshoes with his family. He also enjoyed art: He was an excellent sketch and watercolor artist, and he had beautiful penmanship.

Frank was a devout Roman Catholic during his entire life.

The family requests that no flowers be sent; however, monetary donations in Frank Foran’s memory are encouraged to some of his favorite charities and not-for-profit organizations such as St. Anthony Catholic Church (http://edline.stanthonytigard.org/pages/StAnthonyTigard/Parish/giving ), Beaverton Elks Lodge No. 1989 (lodge@BeavertonElks.org), Housecall Providers, Inc. (https://www.housecallproviders.org/support-us/donate/ ), Providence Hospice Funds (https://appsor.providence.org/giving/ ) and/or Meals-on-Wheels (https://mealsonwheelspeople5969.thankyou4caring.org/sslpage.aspx?pid=298 ) (Please select the Designation “Tigard-King City Center”).

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Featured image/Hans Splinter, CC BY-ND2.0 via Flickr