He was born in Boa Vista, Cape Verde on Jan. 1, 1918, the son of the late John Lopes Francis and Augusta (Evora). Edwin was raised in East Boston and attended East Boston High School, graduating in 1935 and received their Cudworth Prize for Excellence in English. He was active in local community theater groups. Edwin pursued music studies at the New England Conservatory of Music in the Artist’s Diploma Major in piano as a pupil of the late Julius Chaloff. In 1942, he was drafted by the US Army and served overseas in Italy. After the war, he majored in Romance Languages and Literatures (French and Portuguese) at Harvard College and graduated in 1949 Maga Cum Laude and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. He continued in the Graduate School, earning a M.A. and pursuing studies for Ph.D. in Romance Languages. Edwin’s teaching career began in the Boston Public Schools at the former Girls High School and in 1956 he was appointed as Instructor at Salem Teachers College and was active in the transformation of the school into Salem State College. At the college, he developed the Department of Foreign Languages and at the same time he taught English and American Literatures. In 1968, as a member of an ad hoc committee, it was his proposal for a General Education curriculum which is still the requirement for all degrees at the college. In 1992 Edwin retired and traveled extensively and returned to his beloved Cape Verde Islands in 1995.
He is survived by nephews and nieces, Edward Francis Jr. of Medford, Donna Sealey of Medford, Deborah Francis of Brooklyn, NY, Elliot Francis of MD, Robin Jackson of Corona, CA and Dale Francis of Hyde Park.
Visitation in the Boston Harborside Home, 580 Commercial St., Boston on Friday from 10am until 12pm. Entombment will follow in Holy Cross Mausoleum, Malden.
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