Frances Anne Caruso

Fran was born in Lansing, Michigan, on January 29, 1936, to Louis and Virginia Cascarelli. She married the love of her life, the late Dr. George Caruso. Together, they shared 58 years of marriage and raised four daughters, creating a legacy of faith, family, and unconditional love.

Fran's greatest joy was her family. She was blessed that all four of her daughters raised their children in East Lansing, allowing her to play an integral role in the daily lives of her seven grandchildren. She loved nothing more than gathering her family for holidays and Sunday spaghetti dinners. Her grandchildren often jokingly competed for the title of Fran's favorite, though none could ever truly claim it. Later in life, she proudly embraced her role as "GiGi" to her twelve great-grandchildren. To say she was blessed by her family would be an understatement.

When she was not surrounded by her children and grandchildren, Fran maintained a vibrant social life. She enjoyed spending her summers at Walnut Hills Country Club and wintering at Heritage Oaks Golf & Country Club in Sarasota, Florida. Alongside her husband, a passionate Spartan fan, Fran became one herself, holding Michigan State University season tickets for more than fifty years in football, basketball, and hockey. Her daughters often joked that no one had a fuller social calendar than their mother.

Fran was also a devoted Catholic and longtime parishioner of St. Thomas Aquinas Parish. She instilled the values of the Catholic faith in her daughters and grandchildren and took great pride in knowing that her children and grandchildren attended St. Thomas Aquinas Parish School and received a Catholic education.

As Fran grew older, her social outings evolved into cherished lunches with her daughters, where they shared conversations about family, life, and the latest book she was enjoying. In her later years, her daughters lovingly became her primary caregivers, returning the same devotion and care she had given them throughout their childhood. They would chauffeur her around East Lansing to numerous appointments and errands, the most important being her standing Thursday morning appointment with her beloved hairstylist, Heidi. Her daughters were deeply grateful they were able to maintain Fran’s independence and provide dignified care for their mother.

Fran was preceded in death by her husband of 58 years, Dr. George Robert Caruso; her parents, Louis and Virginia Cascarelli; her brother, Albert Cascarelli, and sister-in-law, Margo Cascarelli; her sister, Madeline Bozzo, and brother-in-law, Pete Bozzo; and her nephew and niece, Paul and Cathy Bozzo.

She is survived by her four loving daughters, Edie (Rob) Wilcox, Patti (Robert) Courtney, Joanne (Tommy) Maddalena, and Lori (Don) Knox; her seven grandchildren, Katie (Steve) Waskiewicz, Elizabeth (Mark) Rhein, Sean (Courtney) Courtney, Michael (Alexandrea) Maddalena, Sarah (Jake) VanZalen, MaryBeth Maddalena, and Rachel (Ian) Puzdrowski; and her twelve cherished great-grandchildren.

The family will receive friends at Gorsline Runciman Funeral Homes, 1730 E. Grand River, East Lansing, Michigan, beginning at 5pm Wednesday, August 12, 2026 with a Rosary service at 6pm.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church, 955 Alton Road, East Lansing, Michigan, on Thursday, August 13, 2026, at 11am with visitation beginning at 10am. The Mass will be celebrated by Father Steve Mattson.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial contributions be made to the Huntington's Disease Society of America. Donations may be made online through the Huntington's Disease Society of America Memorial Fund, 505 Eighth Ave., Suite 1402, New York, NY 10018.

Fran's legacy lives on through the faith she shared, the traditions she created, and the family she loved so dearly. She will be deeply missed and forever remembered.