Frances Lee Matthews

Frances Lee Matthews, (known to most as Fran; Frannie by her Son in Law, John; Mimi to Sofia; and Mom and Mommy by her fiercely protective and loving daughter, Amber); age 68, went to be with her beloved Lord and Savior, and her Parents, Joe and Judy Matthews on June27, 2017.

Frances Lee Matthews was born on March 4th,1949, in Pampa,Texas to parents Joseph Preston Matthews and Julia Ladelle (Stephenson) Matthews. Two years later, her baby brother Stephen was born, and he completed their family of four. Shortly after, the family of four moved to 2202 18th Avenue in Texas City, TX, and this is where their family was raised.

This is being written by her daughter, Amber, so you will hear me cross between the names Fran, Mom and Mommy often.

My Mom graduated from Texas City High School, in Texas City, TX, in 1967. She loved to save her lunch money, and use it for gas money, and Cokes, to drive her friends to the beach every day after school in her red convertible. She never tried to be popular or run with the in-crowd. Instead she chose to make friends with people who were mostly bullied. My Mom also had a lot of friends of color. My Mom went to High School in the Civil Rights Era. She said that a lot of people didn't like her because of her choice of friends, but inequality was something she never understood.

This is the love story of my Mommy and I, Sofia and my Mom, and lastly the adorable relationship between John and Mom.

Please bare with me. I have never written an Obituary, and I was in no way prepared to be writing this one. I just want to talk about my Mom's story, the way it deserves to be told, and in an in depth way that she never would have told you. Not because she didn't want to, but because she didn't know how to. She suffered from Mental Illness her entire life, and the older she got, she lost many words and many memories. I often feel the Good Lord above took them from her, to save her heart from any further pain. However, her memories live on thru me. She will ALWAYS live on thru me and she will be safe; feel protected; madly loved and I will never let her feel one ounce of pain again.

So with tears lighting up my keyboard as I write, here goes...

I am going to quickly elaborate on two words I just said. (MENTAL ILLNESS) My Mom was very misunderstood. Mental Illness takes away the beautiful person living just under it's surface. It seems like it loves to torture both the person suffering, as well as their family and their friends. It was obviously not my Mom's choice to suffer from Mental Illness. It was like this beast that followed her around her entire life. Once she would get one part under control another was quick to attack. It was difficult for her to stay ahead of the curb. She spiraled often. It hurt me so bad to see her suffer. Especially knowing there was nothing I could do except sit back; watch; cry; and wait for the next strike. I can say the same for the rest of those who loved her and watched this horror as well. My Mom didn't deserve that endless suffering. Her friends and family didn't deserve it either. No one on this earth deserves to suffer that pain.deserved to suffer the hurt it caused for all involved.

So where did the story of Amber and Fran, and later John and Sofia begin?

She desperately wanted a child. In 1976, God answered her prayers, and at age 28, she adopted me, I was her only and very spoiled child. I was adopted at birth, and she carried me home from the hospital in her arms. I can 100% confidently say I became her entire world. We bonded from day one, and that bond will remain forever.

She named me Amber Michele. She said she named me Amber because it was the color of a caution light. She always felt that she needed to take extra "caution" with me because I was adopted. My middle name was Michele. I was named Michele after my recently deceased beloved Uncle Michael.

As a child, my Mom never missed a beat in my life. At age two, she put me in tap, jazz, and ballet; put me in ruffly dresses with bells that she or my Grandma sewed on the bottom; she put me in baton lessons and gymnastics at age five; she was a teacher at my Montessori school from the ages of two to five; my room mother starting in Kindergarten thru fifth grade; my girl scout troop leader; first grade thru fifth grade; she had me very involved in the Seabrook Sharkettes drill team from 3rd-5th grade and she involved me in girl scout day camps over the summers.

I had an extravagant birthday party every year of my young life. One of my fondest memories of my Birthday parties is that she always home made my cakes. I remember cakes shaped like T-Shirts, Rainbows and perhaps my favorite...when I was 8 years old, she made me a cake with 8 beautiful dancing dolls on top.

She was a great Mom to my best friend Jennesa as well. She took great care of her. She loved Jennesa like she was her second Daughter. I can certainly tell you that Jennesa gained a new Guardian Angel on June 27th. It was just a given that she would be at my house seven days a week. That meant so much to me because Jennesa is, and has always been my very best friend. Jennesa's mom always had to work late to make ends meet. After all, she was a single parent who wanted to, and did, give Jennesa the world. My Mom was more than happy to take Jennesa in as her own, and she did. I can safely say,Jennesa shares a lot of the MANY childhood memories I shared with my Mom. My Mom was very proud of Jennesa, and the life she created for herself.

Entering into adolescence, she remained steadfast and patient. She ran my friends and I all over town. Of course a staple being the Skating Rink every Friday night. She listened to me go on and on about the million boys I had a crush on; she helped me with my homework and tried her best to keep me in line. That was an interesting task for her considering I was raised to always be able to say no; stand up for myself and remain strong willed.

When the time came that we no longer lived together, we talked on the phone every night for over an hour. I'm sure there were 100 other things she would have rather been doing other than talk to her middle schooler/high schooler teenager go on and on about boys; grades; friends; cafeteria food; lockers; personal problems and all of the other fun teenage girl stuff, but she listened intently. All of the Mom's got together to help us get ready for dances, and there she was.

As I got older, and life became more difficult, she talked me thru everything. In college she listened to me vent about grades and text books, college credits; making rent and so much more. After college she still had the answer. Marriage, pregnancy, a new born baby, etc...She always had the answer. She was my rock, and my cheerleader. This lasted until our very last day.

The last 12 years of her life, I can safely say were her best. She was never further than five minutes away from me. I took care of her, and she took care of me. She was given the chance to watch her baby girl of a granddaughter grow into adolescence; she never missed one of Sofia's birthday parties; dance recitals; band recitals; school plays; Grandparent's Day or any other event in Sofia's life. She never missed a holiday; a birthday; a chance to say I love you to John, Sofia and I and she never missed a hug and she never missed a kiss.

Watching her with her granddaughter was the most mesmerizing thing I have ever seen. She was so very in love with her. The feeling was mutual. I peeked in on her rock Sofia as a baby so many times. I was always silent and quiet, and she never even saw me. She sang Elvis's "I Can’t Help Falling in Love With You" and The Penguins "Earth Angel” to her. She was a natural born Mother and it was so obvious in every way. Mom and Sofia formed an inseparable bond immediately. One of Sofia's favorite memories of her Mimi was Mom playing with her for hours on in, especially My Little Pony's and Paper Dolls. Sofia deeply misses and loves her Mimi. Please pray for healing for Sofia. I will repeat that. Please pray for healing for Sofia. Sofia was the only granddaughter Mom ever wanted or needed. I am so grateful they had so much quality time.

I loved my Moms long hair. It was past her waist! She wouldn't cut it. I always made fun of her for it in my younger years, but secretly I loved that about her. My husband and my daughter used to call her "Rapunzel" for it, which she thought was hilarious. Sometimes, I feel like her hair was her "shield" from the world, and in it, she was "safe" from this world. As she grew older I watched it turn from brown, to grey and then white. I remember how genuinely happy she was, every time she had the chance to tell me she was complimented on how long and beautiful her hair was. I began to realize all the veracity of what her hair meant to her, and eventually, I would always tell her how beautiful it was too. And I meant it. Just today, the lady I spoke with at the funeral home complimented her hair, and thru tears, I thanked her.

My Mom saw everyone as beautiful. No matter what, everyone was equal. She had absolutely no need for material possessions. She didn't have a judgmental bone in her body. Although my Mom spent her entire life being judged, and she knew it, she never had a place in her heart to judge anyone back. To quote her favorite verse, from her favorite song, "Imagine" by John Lennon, "Imagine no possessions, I wonder if you can, No need for greed or Hunger, A brotherhood of Man, Imagine all the people sharing all the world, you may saw I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one, I hope someday you will join us, and the world will be as one".

My Mother was the most talented person I have ever met. Throughout her life, Mom was a daughter; sister; wife; aunt; mother; a grandmother, a mother in law and a friend to all. She was a cosmetologist; Montessori School teacher; Special Education teacher; a baker of beautiful cakes; all of my birthday cakes, as well as a few wedding cakes; she was an artist; she made beautiful ceramics; she loved to sew my clothes when I was younger; she was a collector of dolls; bells and spoons. She loved to crochet; she was an active member of the Elks Lodge and she was an active member of the Lion's club with her beloved friend and our neighbor, Juanita Vannerson.

Some fun facts are that her favorite color was purple; she lived in Germany for two years; she loved convertibles; she slept until 2:00 p.m., she loved Pegasus; she would never cut her finger nails; she loved bible study; she was ticklish; she couldn't stand having her feet touched; I swear she still thought it was 1960 and she always mixed coke and Diet Coke to drink. Lastly, she made every holiday perfect.

John picked on her, playfully a lot, I remember when we went out to eat one time and he asked her to bring down a big tub of butter for no reason, and she did. She had a strong dislike for cucumbers and uncooked tomato's so of course he threw one her direction every chance he got. He bought her a Kiss doll every Christmas, (she never liked Kiss); and her 2017 calendar...that she used is KISS...thanks to John. There was nothing he would give to her or say to her that she didn't cherish. This last Father's Day,our last together,he bought her a My Little Pony keychain (that she never asked for) and insisted she put it on her purse, and she did. there was so much more.

Last thanksgiving, was a small one that I will always cherish. As we went around the table to say what we were grateful for, Mom tearfully said, "I am just thankful for the Richardson's". The feeling was so very mutual. It's funny how now that Mom isn't here to pick up my every last puzzle piece, that I realize just HOW much she did for me.

Lastly, I want to share the lyrics of the song I dedicated to my Mom.

She heard it about once a week for twelve years.The name is Green Eyes and it is written by ColdPlay:

Honey you are a rock, upon which I stand, and I come here to talk, I hope you understand. Those green eyes, yes the spotlight, shines upon you. How could anybody deny you? I came here with a load, and it feels so much lighter now that I met you, and honey, you should know that I could never go on without you. Those Green Eyes. Honey you are the sea, upon which I float, and I came here to talk, I think you should know. Those green eyes, you're the one that I wanted to find, and anyone who tried to deny you, must be out of their mind.

Sofia, my Mom, John and I were thankful for everyday God gave us together. We knew we were living on borrowed time due to both of our health issues. We have had our last "earthly" day but we will always be intertwined in John, Sofia's and mostly my heart and soul. My Mom, she was strong. I could not have walked one day in her shoes. I know she is in a better place, but I want my Mommy back! I really just can't believe she is gone. I wish this was a bad dream, and I could just wake up. Please just let me wake up.

Fran is survived by her fiercely protective and devoted daughter, Amber Michele (Vacek) Richardson, of Houston, Texas, who moved to DFW, TX upon marriage; John Richardson, Son in Law, of DFW, TX; Sofia Richardson, Granddaughter of DFW, TX; Brother, Stephen Matthews and wife Nancy as well as their daughter Julia, Fran's Niece, all of Texas City, TX; Gerald and Sheila Ann Richardson of DFW, TX, Her Son in Laws parents, who moved to Shawnee on the Delaware, PA upon their retirement; Pamela Marshall of San Angelo, TX; Jennesa (Drake) McBride, her second daughter, of Austin, Tx; Lilia (Trujillo) Nutt, of Houston Texas; Amber,John and Sofia's friends in which she adored, and in which they adored her as well. Fran is also survived by countless friends; countless aunts and uncles; many cousins and more friends than I can count. Lastly, Fran is survived by our black Labrador Retriever, Mia Bella who is 9 years old. Mom and Mia loved each other very much. Mia continues to look for Mom daily.

She was preceded in death by both sets of Grandparents, her father, Joseph Preston Matthews, her Mother Julia Ladelle (Stephenson) Matthews; beloved friend, Billy Crossley and lifelong friend, Juanita Vannerson.

The family would like to thank all of our friends and family, who have been deeply supportive throughout this hard time.

A funeral will be held at St. John the Apostle Catholic Church in North Richland Hills on July 20th at 10:00 am. A memorial service will be held on the same day, July 20th at 2:00 pm at the Lennox House in Grand Prairie. The family understands that attending both services is time consuming. The Catholic funeral is being held to assure Fran receives her final sacraments.The memorial service is being held as a celebration of life for her friends at the home where she resided. All of you are welcomed to attend one or both services.There will be no formal visitation after the 10am funeral, however the Memorial service at 2pm will be catered.

In Lieu of flowers, the family requests to please send donations to Mental Health Mental Retardation of Tarrant County. Their website is www.mhmrtarrant.org and you can click donations. You will be led to the MHMR Visions Foundation. Please click in memory of FrancesLee Matthews.