Francis X Downey

He was born on June 14, 1930 in Arlington, MA to John and Helen (Doyle) Downey. Fran grew up in Belmont, MA. He graduated from St Sebastian’s School in Needham, MA in 1949. After high school he attended Boston College in Newton, MA where he received a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration in 1953. Fran joined the U.S. Army Security Agency in 1953 where he served his country until 1955.

Fran married Brenda Marion Sullivan in 1957 in Belmont, MA. They were happily married for 59 years and were longtime residents of Falmouth, Maine and communicants of Holy Martyrs Church in Falmouth. He was a devout Catholic and a man of great faith.

Fran began his executive career with Lever Brothers and then with the Getty Oil Corporation. In 1970, he began his own family business of car washes, “Fill-It-Up, Please,” with locations throughout the Greater Portland area which was family run for over thirty years.

Fran is survived by his devoted wife, Brenda of Cumberland, his seven children: Francis Downey, Jr. of Cumberland, Daniel (Laurie) Downey of Portland, Brenda Downey of Yarmouth, Susan Flynn of Falmouth, John (Lisa) Downey of Cumberland, Louisa Routh of Cumberland and Edward (Margaret) Downey of Falmouth; his sister, Maureen Bourke of Marshfield Hills, MA. “Grampie” leaves fourteen beloved grandchildren: Francis III, John, Alicia, Daniel Jr., Caton, Madeline, Carly, Kiely, Emma, Grace, Caroline, Dudley, Kelly and Delaney and many, many nieces and nephews and cousins.

Fran will be forever remembered for his kindness and generosity but most of all for his deep devotion to his family. His greatest love was spending time together with them. He was a proud, committed and loyal, husband, father, grandfather, brother, son and friend. He was respected by all who knew him and he will be genuinely missed.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at Holy Martyrs Church 266 Foreside Rd in Falmouth at 11:00 am on Wednesday, February 22, 2017.

Visiting hours will be held at Jones Rich & Barnes Funeral Home 199 Woodford St. Portland from 4:00 pm – 7:00 pm on Tuesday, February 21, 2017.

In lieu of flowers the family requests memorial donations be made to the Joslin Diabetes Center at One Joselin Place, Boston, MA 02215 or the Gosnell Memorial Hospice House at 11 Hunnewell Road Scarborough, ME 04074.