Frances Deyerle Roane died on December 13, 2025. She was born on July 7, 1937, in Roanoke, Virginia, to parents Hampton Bartlett Deyerle and Anna Barnes Deyerle. The Deyerle family moved to Macon, Georgia, in 1947, and later, to Atlanta in 1951. Fran graduated from Grady High School and then attended the University of Georgia and Georgia State University.
Fran married Hearst Roane, Jr. in 1959. Together, they had two sons, Hampton Roane and Matt Roane. Later, Fran and Hearst welcomed their daughter-in-law, Tracy Roane, into the family, as well as two grandchildren, Mitchell and Anna. Fran and Hearst remained married to one another for the rest of their lives.
During her life, Fran raised two boys, taught pre-school, and did accounting work for several law firms, a publishing company, and a graphic design firm. In her leisure time, Fran enjoyed almost anything taking place outdoors. She played tennis and golf at Cherokee Town and Country Club. She walked and hiked every day, including a stretch of the Continental Divide Trail in Colorado. She gardened anywhere she could find dirt. And she spent countless days enjoying the mountain views at the family’s cabin on Lake Burton. When indoors, Fran’s passions included cooking, bridge, and loving on every dog she met.
In addition to her family, Fran cherished her friends. She loved her involvement with the wonderful people in the Pine Tree Garden Club, Peachtree Presbyterian Church, the Seekers Sunday School Class, the FITT Investment Club, the Home and Community Circle, the Atlanta Humane Society, the Roswell Presbyterian Church, and the Think Sunday School Class.
Fran is survived by her two sons, Hampton and Matt, her daughter-in-law, Tracy, her two grandchildren, Mitchell and Anna, her sister, Judy Windham, her brother-in-law and sister-in-law, David and Faye Roane, and her sweet rescue dog, Teddy. The debate over who-saved-who continues.
A celebration of Fran’s life will be held on January 15, 2026, at 11:00 a.m., at the H.M. Patterson & Son Arlington Chapel, located at 173 Allen Road, N.E., Sandy Springs, Georgia, 30328. Visitation begins at 10:00 a.m.
