Mary Frances (Fran) Keelan, aged 98 of Arlington Heights peacefully passed away at home on Wednesday September 18th. She was surrounded by family and friends in her final days and lived her life to the fullest. She was a loving mother, an accomplished artist and a role model to all who knew and loved her.
Born in East Chicago, Indiana on November 18, 1925 to John J. Mulligan a metallurgist and Margaret B Mulligan (Rattigan) a seamstress. Mary Frances was the youngest of four children. Margaret, Jack, Budge and then “Francie”as she was known by her family. Frances was raised on Beacon Street in East Chicago where she loved to play with dolls and was known to wear a veil and long formal gloves to grade school, much to her older brother’s distress who had to walk with her. She graduated from Roosevelt High School in 1943. and from Purdue University in 1947 with a degree in Mathematics.
Frances met James E. Keelan while attending Purdue and they began seriously dating after college. This required Jim to take an earlier train in order to coincidentally ride with Frances. They married on July 7th 1951. Jim and Francie began their married life in Indianapolis Indiana, then moved to Muncie Indiana, and finally settled in Arlington Heights for the last 58 years. They were married for 50 years and together they welcomed and raised their 6 children. Jean (Dave) Meske-Elliott, Jim (Lori) Keelan, Mary Ann (Mark) Ericksen, Patti (Jeff) Prochaska, Kathleen (Frank) Daudish and Janice (John) Wazorick.
Fran leaves behind a legacy of love including grandchildren Diana and Shannon (Ross) Meske, Mike (Tiffany) Francisco, Jimmy Keelan, Michael (Carly) Ericksen, Maureen (Anthony) Castaldi, Kelly (Jake) Boho, Andy Prochaska, Matt (Ashley) Daudish, Mary (Taylor) Massey, Patty (Evan) Amato, David Daudish, Arielle (John Fredricks) Lundy, and Alli Wazorick. Great grandchildren include Dylan Francisco, Audrey Szafranski, Monty Boho, Liam Keelan, Quinn and Declan Daudish, Valentina and Mirabella Castaldi, Blake Amato and Klara Massey. She was beloved Aunt Francie to many nieces and nephews and their children.
Frances began oil painting in retirement, which was for over 35 years. She was very proud of her Irish heritage and made many trips to Ireland. She was active in the Saint James Church, Northwest Cardiac Rehabilitation, NCH Wellness Center, PEO the ER Chapter, Dunton Questors, Main Street Art Center, multiple Bridge Groups, and the Pi Beta Phi Alumnae Chapter,
She lived by this quote “Speech may sometimes do harm, but so may silence and a worse harm at that. No offered insult ever caused so deep a wound as a tenderness expected, and withheld, and no spoken indiscretion was ever so bitterly regretted as the words that one did not speak”. Author Jan Struther
Frances was preceded in death by her loving husband James E Keelan, parents John J. Mulligan and Mulligan; her sister Margaret (Bill) Modrock brother in law Ken Mertens, brothers Jack Mulligan (Marguerite), Thomas Mulligan (Patricia), nephew Tommy Mulligan, son in law Jeff Lundy, grandson Thomas and great grandson Luke.
Fran leaves behind so many friends including her Tuesday afternoon group, Trader Joe’s friends, neighborhood families, her Wellness Center friends, and fellow artists.
Visitation Sunday September 22, 2024 from 1:00 pm until 4:00 pm at the Glueckert Funeral Home, Ltd., 1520 N. Arlington Heights Road, Arlington Heights. Funeral Mass 1:30 pm, Monday September 23, 2024 at St. James Church 820 N. Arlington Heights Road, Arlington Heights. Private Internment following Mass.
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