December 13, 1929 ~ November 14, 2019 Our Mom, Fran Burgess, passed away peacefully on November 14th, 2019 after a sad and lengthy struggle with dementia. Fran was born in San Mateo, California, to Bardo and Johanna Jacobi, both immigrants from Germany who met and married in California and settled down in San Mateo. Fran attended Borel Middle School and then San Mateo High School, where she was awarded a Certificate of Life Membership in the California Scholarship Federation for consistent and superior scholarship and service. She went on to attend San Mateo Junior College, where she graduated with an Associate in Arts and a permanent membership in the California Junior College Honor Scholarship Society. Upon graduation, she was awarded the University of California Alumni's Scholarship to attend University of California Berkeley, where she received her Bachelor of Science Degree in Public Health in 1951. She married John C. Burgess on June 21, 1953 after meeting him at a dance. Fran used to tell us that once he caught her, he wouldn't dance any more, which was a huge disappointment because she loved to dance! Fran went back to school and earned a certificate in Public Administration and then a Masters Degree in Public Health from University of Hawai'i in 1976. She then began working for the Hawai'i Department of Health as a Public Health Educator. She spent many happy years in this job doing her favorite thing - helping others. She also volunteered with the UH Womens' Campus Club, working at the thrift store where she helped with the book collectionshe loved to read, so this was right up her alley! Fran lived life with enthusiasm and curiosity, interested in everyone and everything. She made friends of a lifetime wherever she went. She loved to travel, and had an enormous collection of travel size bathroom products stored up just awaiting the next trip. Fran genuinely cared about others and was the best listener in the worldand she always knew what to say to make you feel better if you were down. She was kind, funny, generous, compassionate, smart and thoughtful...her example made us strive to be better people. Fran learned how to play the accordion as a child, and loved to bring it out and play polkas. She loved singing along with show tunes at full voice in the car (and did not understand why her children were embarrassed), and would dance around the house with her eyes shut when Strauss waltzes were playing on the stereo. NPR was always on the radio and she greatly enjoyed PBS British murder mysteries. Fran loved talking to family and friends, in person, over the phone, or even while walking around Lanikai (Dad called them the "walkie talkies" because they talked more than they walked). Fran was predeceased by her husband of 64 years, and is survived by her brother Bart Jacobi as well as three children, Elizabeth, Bill, and John, John's wife Barbara, and their two children, Naomi and Helen. We will be having a celebration of Fran's life in Hawaii in April/May 2020. If you were a friend of Fran's and would like to be invited, please email mcorio@sbcglobal.net and let us know. Tell us how you knew Fran, we love to hear the stories! Also, we would like to give a heartfelt thanks to Nette DeCastro and her kind and compassionate staff for taking such great care of Mom and treating her like she was part of their family during these last 5 years. In lieu of flowers, please consider doing something kind for someone else in honor of Fran.
December 13, 1929 ~ November 14, 2019 Our Mom, Fran Burgess, passed away peacefully on November 14th, 2019 after a sad and lengthy struggle with dementia. Fran was born in San Mateo, California, to Bardo and Johanna Jacobi, both immigrants from Germany who met and married in California and settled down in San Mateo. Fran attended Borel Middle School and then San Mateo High School, where she was awarded a Certificate of Life Membership in the California Scholarship Federation for consistent and superior scholarship and service. She went on to attend San Mateo Junior College, where she graduated with an Associate in Arts and a permanent membership in the California Junior College Honor Scholarship Society. Upon graduation, she was awarded the University of California Alumni's Scholarship to attend University of California Berkeley, where she received her Bachelor of Science Degree in Public Health in 1951. She married John C. Burgess on June 21, 1953 after meeting him at a dance. Fran used to tell us that once he caught her, he wouldn't dance any more, which was a huge disappointment because she loved to dance! Fran went back to school and earned a certificate in Public Administration and then a Masters Degree in Public Health from University of Hawai'i in 1976. She then began working for the Hawai'i Department of Health as a Public Health Educator. She spent many happy years in this job doing her favorite thing - helping others. She also volunteered with the UH Womens' Campus Club, working at the thrift store where she helped with the book collectionshe loved to read, so this was right up her alley! Fran lived life with enthusiasm and curiosity, interested in everyone and everything. She made friends of a lifetime wherever she went. She loved to travel, and had an enormous collection of travel size bathroom products stored up just awaiting the next trip. Fran genuinely cared about others and was the best listener in the worldand she always knew what to say to make you feel better if you were down. She was kind, funny, generous, compassionate, smart and thoughtful...her example made us strive to be better people. Fran learned how to play the accordion as a child, and loved to bring it out and play polkas. She loved singing along with show tunes at full voice in the car (and did not understand why her children were embarrassed), and would dance around the house with her eyes shut when Strauss waltzes were playing on the stereo. NPR was always on the radio and she greatly enjoyed PBS British murder mysteries. Fran loved talking to family and friends, in person, over the phone, or even while walking around Lanikai (Dad called them the "walkie talkies" because they talked more than they walked). Fran was predeceased by her husband of 64 years, and is survived by her brother Bart Jacobi as well as three children, Elizabeth, Bill, and John, John's wife Barbara, and their two children, Naomi and Helen. We will be having a celebration of Fran's life in Hawaii in April/May 2020. If you were a friend of Fran's and would like to be invited, please email mcorio@sbcglobal.net and let us know. Tell us how you knew Fran, we love to hear the stories! Also, we would like to give a heartfelt thanks to Nette DeCastro and her kind and compassionate staff for taking such great care of Mom and treating her like she was part of their family during these last 5 years. In lieu of flowers, please consider doing something kind for someone else in honor of Fran.Our deepest condolences to the family and friends of the deceased
