Frances Rye

Frances Margaret Rye, known as Fran or Francie, laid aside her body on May 31, 2019 after a long battle with cancer. She will be remembered as a loving wife and mother, a great homemaker, and a compassionate friend who projected vibrancy, radiance, common sense, spontaneity, and a love of life. She was born in Euclid, Ohio June 24, 1938 to John and Anita Rini, both of whom had deep roots in Sicily. After living her early years near Lake Erie outside of Cleveland, she moved to Lancaster, CA at the age of 16. Upon graduation from the diploma program of the Hospital of the Good Samaritan in Los Angeles in 1960, she taught nursing for 18 months to the young women who staffed a hospital in the mountains of Taiwan under the auspices of World Vision. Before coming home, she traveled alone throughout much of Southeast Asia. She met her husband, Robert, of nearly 56 years in Los Angeles shortly after returning to the US. Before her children were born, she received a BS and MS in nursing at the University of Colorado and conducted research as a public health nurse for Denver Health and Hospitals. Surviving cancer at the age of 46 with young children at home was a major turning point in her life. To her great joy she was able to able to raise her three sons David, Mark, and Jonathan and live to enjoy her grandchildren Hunter, Hadley, Samuel and Jackson. Her experience with cancer also impacted how she viewed her life and inspired her quest to find meaning outside of her family. She loved working with couples and after running the family household and raising her three sons, she became a health educator teaching parenting and communication skills to couples in various churches and at Lutheran Medical Center. She was a member of AAUW and for many years enjoyed her friends in book and movie groups. She had a deep interest in the spiritual side of life and treated people with compassion. Frances is survived by older sisters Dorothy (North Carolina), Joann (Ohio), and Marilyn (California) as well as her husband Robert and their sons and grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents and her twin brother Martin. A celebration of her life will be planned for later in the summer. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the MPN Research Foundation http://www.mpnresearchfoundation.org or to the charity of your choice.