Frances Patricia Bisaha

Frances Bisaha was born and raised in College Point (Queens), New York, the daughter of Maria and John Pastorelli, who had emigrated from Italy in 1907. She grew up there with her older siblings, Ritchie, Jimmy, Ann, and Florence.

Frances married Paul Bisaha on November 7, 1953, beginning a marriage and partnership that would last more than six decades. They first lived in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, before moving to Glens Falls and then Fort Edward, New York. In those years they had their four children: William (Bill), Lorraine (Lori), Steven (Steve), and Mark. In 1966, the family moved to California. After a year in Glendora, they settled in Westminster, where their children grew up. In their later years, Paul and Frances moved to Tustin, where they lived for several years before entering assisted living. Several years after Paul's death in 2017, Frances moved to Crossroads Elder Care, a board-and-care home in Santa Ana, where she spent her remaining years in the care of a wonderful staff.

Family was the center of Frances and Paul's life together. Every year, when Paul took his vacation, they would pack up the family and travel to different destinations, creating memories that would last a lifetime. Except for Paul's necessary business trips, the two never traveled separately. They were devoted companions and remained together throughout their marriage, until Paul's passing.

Frances was a woman of many talents, with a lifelong love of art, crafts, and dance. Her creativity began when she was about eight years old, when she started sewing clothes for her beloved collection of dolls. She continued sewing throughout her life and eventually had a wardrobe of custom-made dresses. She also enjoyed drawing and painting and was always finding new ways to put her artistic abilities to use.

Frances’ love of dance also began in childhood, when she took dance lessons. She carried that passion into adulthood and eventually taught several dance classes herself. Whether sewing, painting or dancing, she approached life with enthusiasm and creativity.

Her talents and charitable works extended well beyond her own home. Frances made blankets and tiny outfits for premature babies at CHOC, knitted hats for military members serving in cold regions, and crocheted afghans for hospital patients. She also participated in the Meals on Wheels program, delivering hot lunches to people who were unable to leave their homes. Giving her time and talents to others was one of the many ways she expressed her caring nature.

Frances's generosity and creativity were accompanied by a playful side that remained with her throughout her life. Around the time that Steve Martin's "King Tut" was popular, Frances and her son Mark would amuse themselves by pretending to be Egyptian hieroglyphs. They would strike the stiff, two-dimensional poses depicted in the hieroglyphics and stage mock battles, moving in perfect synchronization—three jumps in one direction, followed by three jumps in the other, and then repeating the routine. It was the kind of simple, silly fun that brought laughter to the family and captured Frances's enduring sense of play.

Frances will be greatly missed by her family and friends. She leaves behind not only the family she loved so dearly, but also the many memories, acts of kindness, and creative gifts that made her life so special.