Catherine Frances Clunan

Frankie was born on August 25, 1931, in Scranton, Pennsylvania, to Martha and Patrick Rainey. Frankie, the youngest of five siblings, grew up in Scranton and graduated from Holy Rosary High School. She married the love of her life, William “Billy” Clunan, on Feb. 11, 1956 at Holy Rosary Church. Together, thanks to Billy’s career in the Air Force, a couple of kids from Scranton got to see the world. Their adventures took them to Morocco, Alaska, and all over the continental United States. They finally settled in the Sunshine State, first in Ft. Lauderdale, later Zephyrhills, and finally Orlando.

Their biggest adventure of all was building a family together. They had two daughters, Sharon and Karen whose childhoods were filled with happy memories of sweet moments together. On Sunday evenings they watched The Wonderful World of Disney while Mom would bake fresh bread, filling the house with a wonderful aroma. Christmas was always a special time. In Alaska, they got to cut down their Christmas tree in the woods. Wherever they were, Mom loved to decorate the tree, one strand of tinsel at a time. She made cookies with family every year and always loved to look at lights after mass on Christmas Eve.

Sharon and Karen each had their own two daughters who all remember the joy they felt spending time with Gram. Her Orlando grandchildren got to see her more frequently and fondly remember school pick ups with speedbumps, rollercoasters and the best snacks waiting for them. For her St. Louis grandchildren, she always had their favorite treats for their visits and sent special packages with hand-knit slippers. The best memories for all her grandchildren were having quiet moments for a conversation. Gram loved to tell stories about her family and her childhood, and she loved to listen. She could always make you feel important, whether it was sharing how special it was to be the oldest grandchild or just listening to the latest updates about her grandchildren’s lives.

If anyone in her family shared a worry, Frankie would pray harder than anyone to try to ease their burden. She was steadfast in her faith and had a very close relationship with God.

In recent years, Frankie's family grew to include four great grandchildren. She was thrilled about each addition, and made sure to be there for all of their baptisms, traveling to St. Louis and Atlanta for the occasions. Even in her 90s, she was still happy to get down on the floor and play with her great grandchildren or accompany them to a park to share a picnic and watch them play.

In her last days, Frankie’s eyes still lit up when she saw her family. She ended every visit and phone call with an “I love you.”

Frankie is survived by her daughters, Sharon Martin (Paul), Karen Mayou (Mike); four granddaughters, Colleen Martin, Catherine Martin (Jacob Barker), Nicole Johnson (Myles), and Lauren Mayou; and four great grandchildren Harvey and Rosemary Martin-Barker and Avery and Wyatt Johnson.

She is preceded in death by beloved husband Billy, and her siblings – Margaret, Paul, Marie, and Joan.

"In lieu of flowers, please donate to the American Heart Association or the Alzheimer's Association."