Frances Rossman Huff

Frances Rossman Huff passed peacefully to our heavenly Father, June 5, 2012. Born July 14, 1920 in St Joseph, Michigan to Cleveland (Butch) Rossman and Florence Stamp Rossman; both school teachers, who raised their only daughter to follow their lead and become a school teacher. Frances taught from 1941 till 1986 (in Michigan, Colorado, Texas, Mississippi, Tennessee, Florida, Maryland, Louisiana and Alabama). In 1986 she left teaching to work full time with her husband, William (Bill) Jennings Huff, at their law practice in Pascagoula, Mississippi. Frances is survived by her loving son, John Rossman Huff and daughter-in-law, Karen Keohane Huff, both of Houston, Texas; her oldest grandson, Christopher David Huff, grand daughter-in-law, Kelly Dawn Huff, two great-grandsons, Tyler Keohane Huff and Cole Addison Huff, all of Houston, Texas; and her youngest grandson, Jonathan Travis Huff and great-granddaughter, Nicolette Isobel Huff of Los Angeles, California. The family appreciates the help Frances received at the assisted living unit of The Forum in Houston, Texas and especially for the loving care of her personal care-givers, Helen Jones and Vicky Armstrong; as well as the extraordinary care and comfort provided by her hospice nurse, Janice Schaafs and her staff. Heather Havens and Renee Jurkoshek completely removed the burden of maintaining her beloved home in Mobile while she received medical support in Houston. The family was blessed to be involved with such wonderful people. Funeral services will be held Saturday, June 9, 2012, 4:00p.m., at the Chapel in Mobile Memorial Gardens in Mobile, Alabama (251-661-7700). The burial service will be held in the Gardens near the Chapel. Immediately following both services, the family extends an invitation to all her friends and loved ones to gather at her home in Mobile for a celebration of her life. Mrs. Huff was a marvelous teacher. She taught nearly every grade level from elementary school through college, although her favorite students were the secondary school children who enthusiastically expressed their love for learning - a trait she encouraged in all her students. She particularly enjoyed and appreciated the many opportunities each student afforded her to help them with life's lessons. Frances began her career in Detroit, MI, shortly after graduating with a BA from Wayne State University in 1941. She moved to Colorado Springs where she met her future husband. William "Bill" Huff was a newly returned B-17 bombardier who had flown 50 missions in North Africa, the Mediterranean and across the English Channel before being reassigned to the United States to teach new bombardiers their "trade". Soon after the wedding ceremony, the happy couple moved to the Galveston Army Air Field in Galveston, Texas, where the new Mrs. Huff taught in the Lone Star state for the first time. In the fall of 1945, they moved to Oxford, Mississippi where Frances taught social science at Ole Miss while earning her Masters degree in History. In 1948, they moved to Memphis and then on to Panama City, Florida where she spent the Korean War years teaching at Bay County High School. After a short stint in Bethesda, Maryland the family moved to Starkville, Mississippi. In September, 1959 she was teaching at Edgar Allen Poe Elementary School in Houston, Texas, when a deranged father came to the school with a suitcase full of explosives and killed himself, his son, one of Frances' close friends (a teacher at Poe), three others and injured many more. This was one of the worst tragedies ever to happen in American education history. The next year, the family moved to Hattiesburg, Mississippi where she taught Jr. High School and enjoyed participating in many community activities, especially in the religious life of the Trinity Episcopal Church. Bill and Frances married for a lifetime and celebrated 54 years of marriage before Dr. Huff passed away in 1998. From 1968 until her death Frances lived in Mobile where she was a beloved teacher at Bishop Toolen High School until it merged with Mcgill in 1972 and remained on the faculty of Mcgill-Toolen until 1986. She has many wonderful friends from her "Mcgill-Toolen days" and continued to enjoy these cherished relationships as well as many diverse activities and events after her retirement. Frances was deeply involved in many of Mobile's social and civic activities. She was the Queen of the La Luna Mardi Gras Ball, princess in the Daughters of the Nile, a member of Eastern Star, member of the Daughters of the American Revolution, where she traced her lineage back to 12 different family members who fought in the Revolutionary War, served the retired Military Officers Association and fondly recalled all the fun she had with the ladies of The Red Hats. In addition to her full time calendar of career and activities, Frances seldom missed a college football game as the fall season was a very special time for her. Frances' last words expressed the absolute and unremitted love she held for her family, the deep admiration and gentle kindness she felt for all her friends and the fondness of her many wonderful memories at Mcgill-Toolen. There is little doubt the world is a better place for Frances Huff having been a part of so many fine young people's lives during her teaching career. Because of her ability to teach and communicate with people, each of these former students is well positioned and destined to help shape a better future for our society in the years to come. As with her students, she continually influenced and impacted her family, many friends and co-workers with love, kindness, graciousness, and with a sincere heart to see and believe the best of everyone. In lieu of flowers, the family would appreciate contributions to the Frances and William Huff Rice University Football Scholarship Fund. Please contact Kim Koehn, Associate Athletic Director for Development of Rice University at 713-348-6924 or kimk@rice. edu for information to donate in memory of Frances Huff. Thank you Heavenly Father for granting your precious daughter, Frances Rossman Huff, Your eternal peace. Arrangements by Mobile Memorial Gardens Funeral Home, 6040 Three Notch Road, Mobile, Alabama 36619.