Sally Jo Francis

Sally J Francis, of Upper Arlington, passed away in Hilliard, Ohio. She was born to Gerald A. and Mary Jane (Graff) Francis, who taught her to do things to the best of her ability, which she applied to every facet of her life. Sally graduated from Upper Arlington High School, where she played the clarinet in the marching band and caused minor trouble as the third child of the family, before graduating from The Ohio State University with a degree in publishing.

She had a varied career, from project management at Battelle (where she met her husband) and technical editing at the Idaho National Engineering Lab (where her daughter was born) to operations and compliance for a wealth management firm back in Central Ohio and starting her own firm to support seniors with bookkeeping and money management. Sally spent her time applying her strong will to the things that she cared about most: her community and family.

She was a 25+ year member of Broad Street Presbyterian Church, where she volunteered as an Elder, Deacon, and as part of neighborhood outreach programs. Following in the footsteps of her father, she was a Franklin County Master Gardener Volunteer, diligently spending years starting seedlings in the basement for the Highland Youth Garden, OSU Extension, and anyone else with a spare patch of dirt. Sally was also politically active in her local community, where she felt it her duty to do what she could to ensure that people were treated fairly and with honesty. She deeply loved and cared for her friends and family, both near and far, always lending a helping hand and getting the hard work done. Her parents and brother, Steve, preceded her in death.

She is survived by her husband Steven of Upper Arlington, OH; daughter Anastasia (Kenneth) and granddaughter Olive (her own personal joy machine) of New York, NY; sister Diane (Robert) of Upper Arlington, OH; niece Lauren (Jacob) and nephew Jay (Connor) of Columbus, OH; and cousins.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, February 21, 2026 at 1:30PM at Broad Street Presbyterian Church, 760 E Broad St, Columbus, OH 43205, with reception following the service until 4:30PM. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Broad Street Presbyterian Church, 760 East Broad Street, Columbus, Ohio 43205.

To view a livestream of the memorial service, please visit www.youtube.com/c/BroadStreetPresbyterianChurch/videos