Gilbert Wayne Francis

It is with great sadness that Gil’s family announce his passing on February 20th, 2016 at Sherbrooke Community Centre, his home for the past four years.

Gil was born on the family farm near Aylesbury on June 29th, 1935 and his early years were spent with his siblings on the farm helping out with chores, including selling cream and eggs; after which Gil developed a lifelong aversion to skim milk and porridge!

His self sufficiency and work ethic were instilled early, as he and his brother Norm first attended the Watkins school and transported themselves back and forth by cart with the family horse Duke during the summer and then managed two horses and a cutter during the cold Saskatchewan winter months.

After high school and a stretch farming the Anderson homestead, which has since been designated a Provincial Century Farm, Gil attended the Alberta School of Agriculture in Vermillion and received a Diploma in Practical Agriculture. Further post secondary education was pursued in Edmonton at the University of Alberta where he attained a B.Sc in Agriculture. Early employment as an agriculturist with the Alberta Department of Agriculture in Wetaskawin was interspersed with Western Canadian stints in Edmonton, Peace River and Winnipeg with Imperial Oil before Gil and his family settled in Saskatoon where he was the Farm Manager at the University of Saskatchewan for twenty five years.

With his gold watch on his wrist, Gil continued to pursue his interests in agriculture and livestock in his retirement and took the opportunity to travel to various parts of the world including Costa Rica, Mexico, Florida, Arizona, Texas and elsewhere across the United States and Canada. As a man of the land, Gil was happiest driving cross country amongst the wheat fields and river valleys of Saskatchewan with the sun on his face and the visor down. He will be remembered lovingly for his commitment to family and friends and as man of few words and enduring actions that helped better the lives of the people around him.

Gil is survived by his wife Pam, sister Evelyn and brothers Norm and Earl, son Allan, daughter Susan, stepchildren Adrian and Kathy; grandchildren Dale, Sheena, Shaelene, Gabrielle and Nathalie; great-grand-daughters Mackenzie and Aneehs.

The family would like to extend their sincere thanks to all the Sherbrooke staff for their wonderful love and care of both Gil and Pam while he was a resident with you. Special appreciation to the 4th floor neighborhood staff.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Sherbrooke Community Centre or the Heart & Stroke Foundation.