Jacqueline Francis

On September 22, 1946 God placed a baby girl and a baby boy into the family of Wilford and Willie Mae Francis. They named the baby girl Jaqueline Elaine Francis. On February 7 2020, Jacqueline transitioned to her heavenly home to lay at the feet of our Heavenly Father until that great “getting up” day.

“Jackie,” as she liked to be called, accepted Christ at an early age. She started her Christian walk at Greater Mount Pillow Baptist Church as a young child, under the leadership of the late Rev. C.D. Dixon, then united with 34th St. A.M.E. under the leadership of Rev. Phillip R. Kent Sr.

She currently calls The Church at Bethel’s Family her home church where she regularly attended services under the leadership of Pastor Walter August.

Her working career started out early as a respiratory therapist at Ben Taub, and St. Joseph Hospitals. After many years and various shift positions, she joined Houston Independent School District.

She held many positions, but the one that she held close to her heart was being a teacher’s assistant in special education. She loved working with children with disabilities to help them become all that they had the capacity to be. Her motto was that “all children can learn and it’s their right to do so.”

She retired from Foerster Elementary with 24 years of service. She was also employed at Covenant House Texas as a youth monitor and served as a Senior Companion at The Jewish Community Center.

Her educational achievements included a Texas certification in respiratory therapy, an associate’s degree in education from Houston Community College, and she was just 12 semester hours shy of a bachelor’s degree in education from Texas Southern University. She was a smart cookie.

She is preceded in death by her parents, Wilford Francis and Willie Mae Francis, paternal and maternal grandparents, her oldest daughter Lisa Marilynne Francis-Kirk, three brothers Russell(twin), Paul and Stephen; and a niece Brittney Francis.

She leaves to mourn her passing two sons; Gerald Francis (Trawana), Jonathan Francis (Joycelyn), one daughter, Gladys “Michelle” Francis-Stennis; two brothers, Sterling Jackson (Selena), David Francis (Sondra), one sister, Joan Elizabeth Francis-Thigpen, eight grandchildren (whom she loved dearly), nine great-grandchildren, and a host of other relatives and friends.

Praise be to God!!!!

Grandchildren: Michael Stennis II, Meghan Stennis, Myles Stennis, Avery Francis, Morgan Francis, Victoria Francis, Parrish Francis and Adara Francis

Great-Grands: Ava Stennis, Melody Stennis, Makiyah Stennis, Joyous and Mahieu Coleman, Sincere Murdock, Carson Francis, and two more on the way.