Frances J. Buffa

January 24, 1935 – December 12, 2013

As a child, Fran and her Sicilian immigrant parents, Rosario and Rosa Buffa, lived in both Michigan and La Mesa, California. She loved to play sports when young and jogged and swam as an adult. Months before her passing she was still walking 6 miles.

Fran worked as a grocery clerk for 21 years. Afterwards, she lived her true passion, helping alcoholics gain sobriety and turning their lives around. She worked with several alcohol recovery programs, starting as a receptionist, gaining experience and taking courses until she became program director of: Pathfinders Service Center, Rachael’s Women’s House, Volunteers of America-7 Day Recovery Program, and McAlister Institute. She also started the Mirror Adolescent Substance Abuse Recovery Group and was instrumental in establishing The Turning Point Home, a woman’s alcohol recovery home. She helped 100’s of people achieve sobriety and received a Citizen Recognition Award from the County of San Diego. Fran celebrated her 41st year of sobriety November 13, 2013.

Fran’s compassion and love of people was apparent to everyone who met her. Her kindness extended to friends and strangers alike. She once purchased a bicycle for a little girl whose grandmother could not afford it, although Fran herself was on a fixed income and had never met them before. She’d give rides to elderly woman she’d see walking with heavy grocery bags. She gave her Christmas tree to a family that couldn’t afford one. It is impossible to share all of Fran’s many, many acts of kindness.

Fran battled breast cancer once in her 40s and a second time in her 60s, beating the disease both times and inspiring other breast cancer survivors. November 18th she was found to have cancer of the esophagus and passed on December 12th. With each illness, she faced it with humor and a positive attitude, to her last days. Fran was deeply spiritual and ecumenical, participating in the Catholic Church and Unity Church, and practiced traditional native religion for approximately 15 years with the Sycuan tribe.

Fran adored her family; she especially enjoyed her grandchildren and great grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her loving husband Paul Crouch and is survived by her older daughter Rose Tarantino (husband Pete), grandchildren Cristina (James), Teresa (Benedict) and Peter; her great grandchildren Layla, Olivia and Benny, younger daughter Shannon Griffin (Kris Dyszynski), loving relatives in Michigan, and many friends and admirers.

A funeral mass will be celebrated Friday, December 20th, 10:00 AM at Our Lady of Grace, 2766 Navajo Rd (near Hwy 125), El Cajon. Reception with catered lunch will follow at the Tarantino home, 1454 Honeyhill Road, El Cajon.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to your favorite charity or to The Turning Point Home. They can be made on-line or sent to Turning Point, 1315 25th St, San Diego, CA 92102.