Mary Frances Canton

Mary Frances Canton, 92, passed away on October 5, 2026. She was a beloved mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, a proud native of West Virginia, and a descendent of a member of the Lewis and Clark expedition. She was strong in spirit and mind.

Mary Frances attended West Virginia University, where she joined Kappa Kappa Gamma and met her husband, Philip, a star football player for the Mountaineers. They were married for 62 years and lived as an Army couple before retiring to Elizabethtown, Kentucky. There, Mary Frances taught commercial foods at the local vocational technical school. Her students won many awards and accolades under her guidance, and Governor Martha Layne Collins named her as an honorary Kentucky Colonel. Around Elizabethtown, she was known as “the cook” by friends who received gifts of her delicious banana bread.

Later in life, she moved to Austin, Texas, to be near her daughter and son-in-law. Her husband Philip preceded her in death in 2015. She is survived by her daughter, Mary Clair (David); her grandchildren, Robert (Cameron) and MaryLiz (Clay); and three great-grandchildren.

She will be buried at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery next to her husband. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Hospice Austin (hospiceaustin.org) or Wreaths Across America (wreathsacrossamerica.org).