Frances S. Gillespie

She was born on February 7, 1953 to Tom and Shirley Woodard. She was the second of four children. Frances went by a lot of different names throughout her life. Most of her family called her Sharolyn or Bootsie, a nickname that she picked up as a young child. Her siblings affectionately called her "Sissy" throughout her life. Since her maiden name was Woodard, Frances was often called "Woodie" throughout college and as she began her nursing career. But, by far, her most treasured names were always Mom and Grandma.

Frances was born in North Carolina and spent a great deal of time with her grandparents in Princeton. Even after her family moved to Virginia, Frances and her siblings would spend many summers on their grandparent's farm in North Carolina. Frances and her older sister, Carolyn, grew up taking care of their younger siblings, Janet and Tommy, who frequently found themselves getting into mischief. As the "middle" sister, Frances was often the peacemaker. She never wanted anyone to get in trouble and she always wanted everyone to get along and be nice.

Frances graduated from Hampton high School and then went on to Riverside School of Nursing to become a registered nurse. Throughout her 35-year career, Frances, or Woodie as she was known in the hospital, worked in numerous departments at Riverside Regional Medical Center in Newport News, Virginia. She especially enjoyed the time she spent working in Home Health, as well as the Mother-Baby Unit. Frances always seemed to have a magical touch when it came to babies and the elderly. She never seemed to mind a fussy baby or a cranky patient, and she always managed to find a way to comfort and soothe them.

After nursing school Frances went on to marry her favorite Army soldier, Fred Burns, in 1975. Together they had two beautiful little girls, Angela and Amanda. Motherhood came easy to Frances, even later as she raised two teenage girls. Although they did not stay married, Frances and Fred remained close friends and always worked together to provide a wonderful life for their girls.

When Frances left the Home Health Department she went on to the Mother-Baby floor, often working nightshifts so she could stay home with her grandbabies during the day. Taylor was her first grandbaby, and she made a point to spoil him rotten. Even as a grown adult she would say that Taylor could do no wrong. Although she hated it when he left home, she was tremendously proud of Taylor's service in the army.

Destynie came next and, as her only granddaughter, Frances loved to show her off. We would often say that she was her Grandma's dress up doll. Although "Desi", as her Grandma called her, was not a fan of being dressed up, she would do anything for her grandmother. No matter how many times Grandma put her in frilly, lacey dresses, Desi would always manage to find dirt to play in or a mud puddle to run through. She will always be Grandma's pretty girl.

A few years later the last of her grandbabies, Thomas and Joshua, came along. Frances was often blown away by Tommy's intelligence and long-winded explanations. She loved to see how his mind worked and enjoyed his artwork and creativity. Josh was Grandma's baby, and he could have anything he wanted since, according to his grandma, he was perfect. Frances retired so that she could stay home with Josh until he started preschool. They could often be found on the couch watching cartoons and sharing peanut butter cookies or Cheeto's.

Frances was easygoing and patient. She had a giant heart and would help anyone in need. She enjoyed attending church, watching QVC, listening to country music, and rocking any baby that she could get her hands on. She loved her family and friends, and she was well-loved in return. Frances was a lifelong caretaker and spent many years taking care of her parents as they aged. She would later go on to take care of her older sister and younger brother, who all stayed with her at one point or another. She spent her entire life selflessly and happily taking care of others.

Frances' best friends were always her sisters, Carolyn and Janet. Family from North Carolina referred to them as "Tom's girls" and many people mistook them for triplets due to their similar looks and mannerisms. They shared many happy memories and even more funny stories of family vacations, snowstorms, hurricanes, and other adventures that never seemed to go as planned.

Frances leaves behind her sister, Janet Fleischmann, her daughters Angela (Mark) and Amanda, and her four grandchildren; Taylor, Destynie, Thomas, and Joshua. She was preceded in death by her parents Tom and Shirley, as well as her brother Tommy, sister Carolyn and beloved nephew Adam. Frances was loved by everyone she met, and she touched many lives throughout her nursing career. Frances' memory will live on in the lives of those that she touched throughout her lifetime. We will treasure the memories that we are left with as we find comfort knowing that she will be reunited with her loved ones in Heaven. Frances will always be loved, never forgotten, and forever missed.

A visitation for Frances will be held Saturday, May 28, 2022 from 4:30 PM to 5:00 PM at Parklawn-Wood Funeral Home, 2551 North Armistead Ave, Hampton, Virginia 23666, followed by a celebration of life at 5:00 PM.