Francis Matthias Lyons

Francis Matthias Lyons (aka Fran/Frank) ,79, passed away peacefully at his home in Lewiston, Maine on October 8th, surrounded by family. A loving and devoted husband, father and grandfather, he was born on February 22, 1944 in Portland, Maine, the son of Pauline Jordan Daniels and Francis Lyons and later the stepson of Lionel Daniels. To friends and family, he was known as Fran and graduated from Westbrook High School in 1962. He attended the University of Maine in Orono graduating in 1966 with a BS in Education. His first teaching assignment was at Lincoln Junior High School in Portland. It was here that he became Frank. The teacher in the room next to him was named Fran and when the principal introduced him to her, he asked what his nick name was. Hoping to avoid confusion he quickly replied Frank, a name that followed him for thirty-three years in education. In 1976 he received a Masters in Secondary Administration from the University of Southern Maine. He remained at Lincoln Junior as a teacher, coach, athletic director and Assistant Principal before moving on to South Portland High School as an assistant principal. While at South Portland he also ran the Summer School Program and the Husson College Extension Program on Saturday. After seven years, he moved to Bath, Maine and served fourteen years as the Principal of Morse High. During this time, he served on many boards and committees for the Maine Secondary Principals Association.

Fran married a local girl, Elizabeth Babbidge, and their marriage endured fifty-nine wonderful years. While living in Westbrook he owned and operated a driving school called Westbrook Driving Academy, teaching over eight- hundred plus students in the Greater Portland area to drive. During this time, he also worked for thirteen years, part- time, for the United States Customs Service at the Portland International Ferry Terminal. He gave to the community, serving several years as a Little League coach and also serving four years on the Westbrook School Board representing Ward 4, followed by two years on the Westbrook City Council as an alderman at large.

In 1999, when he was about to retire, and after thirty-three years in education, a local newspaper in Bath asked what he was planning to do and he jokingly replied he probably would retire to Florida and work at Disney World. Leaving ‘Frank‘ behind, he became ‘Fran’ again to his friends and family in Florida and Maine. Following many friends to the Sunshine state he and his wife quickly discovered that hanging by the pool, shopping and acting as tourists was not for them. Living only five miles away, one day they went to the Casting Department at Disney and got part- time jobs working in a restaurant in the Animal Kingdom called PizzaFari. They planned on working maybe three or four winter seasons and ended up staying for seventeen wonderful years, making many “magical” memories. They quickly discovered that “working for the Mouse” was exciting and looked forward to their November – May time spent as Snowbirds in their home in Davenport, Florida. May – October they spent time at their camp on Pleasant Lake in Casco and later in Lewiston with their son Scott as cellar dwellers. Before the Pandemic hit, he worked summers at Point Sebago Resort for twenty years, believing that working keeps you young and mentally sharp. At the time of his passing he was employed at Bates College as a Communication Specialist.

At the age of 74, after years of searching, he discovered the name of his biological father, George Lee of Windham, Maine. In his final years, he befriended and got to know his family on his father’s side and was thankful for this opportunity to meet his brother George and his sister Jackie, and their extended family.

The author of three published novels and two unpublished, he often noted that while his neighbors and friends in Florida passed their time of day chasing golf balls, he sat on his porch doing what he loved best, reading and writing. Later in life he took up painting, gifting his family with some of his “masterpieces”.

Besides his wife of fifty-nine years, the former Elizabeth Babbidge of Westbrook, he is survived by a son Christopher and his wife Kerry of Monroe, North Carolina and their sons Sean and Padric of Portland. A daughter Colleen Smith and her husband Bill of Tecumseh, Michigan and their three sons Remington, Isaiah and Zach. A son Scott of Lewiston and his two sons, Maxwell and Jackson and daughters Isabella and Karly (Cupcake).

He was a lifelong Democrat and enjoyed reading political articles and watching MSNBC. He didn’t fear death but he often joked that when he met our Founding Fathers (if there is such an event) he wouldn’t be able to answer their question… “WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED?”

The family invites you to a time of visitation on October 13th from 4:00 to 7:00pm with a Liturgy of the Word to be celebrated at 6:00pm at The Fortin Group LEWISTON, 70 Horton St, Lewiston.

Fran always felt that society has underfunded their libraries and schools in general and he enjoyed reading to his grandchildren. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests that a book or two be donated to your local library in his name, or yours, if you so desire.

You may offer your condolences or share you many memories of Fran at www.thefortingrouplewiston.com