Fran Jones Hudson

Fran Jones Hudson, born Fran McGahey Jones on September 29, 1939, in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, passed away on October 18, 2025, at the age of 86. A resident of Locust Grove, Georgia, Fran was formerly of Atlanta, Georgia, and Montgomery, Alabama. She was a beloved, compassionate, cherished, gentle, and hard-working individual who touched the lives of many.

Fran graduated from Robert E. Lee High School in the class of 1957. She began her career as a clerk stenographer for the Veterans Administration Regional Office in Montgomery, Alabama, immediately after high school. She furthered her education by earning an Associate Degree in Nursing from Dekalb Community College in Clarkston, Georgia, in 1990. She also achieved a Master’s Degree in Special Education/Speech Pathology with honors from Georgia State University in Atlanta, Georgia, in 1981, and a B.S. in Special Education with honors from the same university in 1976.

Throughout her extensive career, Fran accumulated nearly 30 years of Federal Government experience. This included 7 years as a Program Analyst for the United States Office of Education and 11 years as a Claims Representative for the Social Security Administration. Furthermore, she dedicated 19 years as a Registered Nurse, serving in various roles such as Senior Staff Nurse, Home Health RN Case Manager/Staff Development Coordinator, Medical Coordinator, Skilled Nursing Facility Staff Development Coordinator, and RN Charge Nurse.

Outside of her professional life, Fran had a deep appreciation for nature. She collected artwork of natural settings and various bird species and was an avid bird watcher. She participated in a 5-year bird banding study of indigenous birds in Alabama and their migratory patterns, allowing the use of her land on the Tallapoosa River for this purpose. Fran also enjoyed gardening and had a passion for collecting antique tools and farm implements, which she displayed throughout her garden. Faith was a very important value to Fran. She expressed her faith through her dedicated service as a nurse, often spending her own time and resources to help others, demonstrating her extreme charity.

Fran is survived by her loving family: her daughter Karen C. Perez and her husband, John H. Perez of Locust Grove, Georgia; her daughter Stephanie C. Thurmond and her husband, David Thurmond of Lilburn, Georgia; her grandson Jeremy Thurmond and granddaughter Megan Thurmond, both of Lilburn, Georgia; and her great-granddaughters Isabella and Emma Vasquez of Lilburn, Georgia. She is also survived by her sisters, Patricia J. Greene of Miami, Florida, and Cynthia J. Kenney and her husband Charles M. Kenney of Montgomery, Alabama.

She was predeceased by Clarence “Dodda” Hudson, who passed away in June 1997 and is inurned at Alabama Heritage.

Fran will be remembered for her kindness, dedication, and the love she shared with her family and friends.

A Memorial Service for Fran will be held at Alabama Heritage Funeral Home, located at 10505 Atlanta Highway, Montgomery, AL 36117 on Saturday, November 15, 2025 at 11:00 am with an Inurnment service immediately following.