Obituary of Shirley Francis

Shirley R. Francis, house-designer and builder, died March 11, 2010 in Austin, Texas. Shirley was born in Tulsa April 7, 1923 the daughter of prominent Tulsa attorney, Hal F. Rambo and Alice J. Rambo, founding librarian of the Tulsa County Law Library. Her grandparents were former Oklahoma Territorial Treasurer Cassius W. Rambo and Alice J. Rambo, and William S. and Josephine Spencer, Oklahoma pioneers. She was a member of the First Families of the Twin Territories. Shirley graduated from Tulsa Central High and received an A.A. Degree from Christian College, Columbia, Missouri and was a member of Phi Theta Kappa and Delta Eta Chi honoraries. She received her B.A. from former Oklahoma A & M where she was a member of Kappa Alpha Theta fraternity. She married William P. Francis in 1947 and was employed as an interior decorator in both Oklahoma City and Tulsa. She began house designing in 1954, later forming her own company, SRF Designs. She and her husband worked together as "Francis Homes" for over 45 years, building homes, apartments and condominiums in Tulsa, Broken Arrow, Bixby, Oklahoma City, Norman and Moore, Oklahoma; Denver, Colorado; Dallas-Ft Worth, Texas and Naples, Florida. Since 1996, under "Homes by Citation", they designed and built homes in Owasso, Sperry, Collinsville and Skiatook, Oklahoma. In Tulsa, Shirley was President of both Junior and Senior Tulsa Alumnae Chapters of Kappa Alpha Theta. She served on the City Board of the Tulsa Council of Camp Fire and was on the boards of the Tulsa Philharmonic Women's Association, Paul Revere School P.T.A. and the Junior Association of Cerebral Palsy. She was a member of Tulsa Panhellenic, S.W. Art Association, American Cancer Crusade and Seed and Sod Garden Club. She was active in Republican politics and was Tulsa County Chairwoman of Bud Wilkinson's "Bud's Brigadears" during his Senatorial campaign, as well as State Women's Ball Chairman for Governor Dewey Bartlett. She was listed in "Who's Who in Tulsa" in 1965. Shirley was a committed Christian and was a founding member of Christ Presbyterian Church in Tulsa. She was active in both Charles Solomon's "Grace Fellowship International" and the James Robison ministries. She was a long time friend and supporter of Francis and Edith Schaeffer and of Covenant Theological Seminary in St. Louis. For many years she led a couples' Bible Study in her home and was a Teaching Guide for the National Christian Women's Club. She and her husband opened their home to Christian ministries, including a teen Bible study, and seminary and denominational meetings and receptions. Shirley was preceded in death in 2000 by her husband of 53 years, William P. Francis; her sister and brother-in-law, Mary Alice and Paul Behrents, Arvada, Colorado and brother-in-law Joe Francis, Tulsa, OK. She is survived by 3 daughters, Sherrel Bean, Broken Arrow, OK, Stacey and her husband Steven J. Williams, Austin, Texas and Shannon and her husband Craig M. Williams, Austin, Texas; her former son-in-law, William B. Bean, Oklahoma City, OK; 7 grandchildren, Marshall Bean, Dustin, Brandon, Christian and Brittany Williams and Maigan and Adrian Williams; 5 nieces, Karen Ramey, Arvada, Colorado, Melissa Iski, Tulsa, Diane Van Koughnett, Manilla, Philipines, Lauren Wage, Rockledge, Florida and Jody Humphrey, Owasso, OK and nephew Randy Francis, Tulsa. Shirley will lie in state Monday 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the Ninde Brookside Funeral Home with a funeral service 11:00 a.m. Tuesday, Christ Presbyterian Church, 2706 E 51st Street. Ninde Brookside 918.742.5556 www.ninde.com