Myers Mortuary-Bringham City
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John Edwin Francis, Jr. was born June 8, 1940, in Washington, DC. He died peacefully at home
in Logan, Utah on Friday October 28th, 2022.
The oldest of four children born to John Edwin Francis, Sr. and Mary Passerini Francis, John grew
up in Washington DC with his sisters Mary-Louise (ML) Gregory, Toni Francis, and his brother
Jim Francis. His two sisters survive him; his brother Jim died earlier in 2022. John graduated
from Gonzaga College High School in 1958 and received his undergraduate and medical school
degrees from Georgetown University in 1962 and 1966.
John met his wife Linda Nave Harrison Francis, a registered nurse, in 1960; they were married in
Alexandria, VA in 1962. John and Linda had three daughters, Mary Francis, Margaret (Meg)
Francis Cairns, and Anne Francis Bayless. John started his internal medicine internship at
Bellevue Hospital in New York City, but was called to serve in VietNam in 1968, when Mary and
Meg were infants. While he was serving in the Army, he attained the rank of Major, and was
awarded the Bronze Star. Upon his return, the family moved to the Atlanta area, where John
completed his internal medicine residency, and was a cardiology fellow at Emory University.
In 1974 John moved with his family to Kalamazoo, MI, where he co-founded the cardiology
practice that would later become the Heart Institute of Michigan. During their time in Kalamazoo,
John and Linda were very active in supporting the arts, especially music. Even after leaving the
Kalamazoo area, he continued to give back to the local arts community, and in 2011 he
established The Francis Family Endowment to provide lasting financial support to the Kalamazoo
Junior Symphony. In 1993 John took a teaching position at the Ochsner Clinic in New Orleans,
working closely with fellows in their cardiology training programs. He was also Chief of the
Consultative Cardiology Service and Director of the EKG Department. Working with students was
his first love, and he was a much-admired teacher who felt it important to recognize and nurture
promising young cardiology fellows. Each year the recipient of the John Francis, M.D. Cardiology
Fellowship Service Award is chosen by the graduating fellows within the Department of
Cardiology. Candidates for this award are those who make significant contributions to excellence
in patient care, and through their actions help to create a positive environment for fellows in which
to learn.
In 2007 John and Linda returned to Washington DC, where John was proud to teach medical
students at his alma mater, Georgetown University Medical Center. The couple spent time
reconnecting with DC family and friends, and John's much-prized Georgetown Hoyas. In 2016
John and Linda moved to Logan, UT to be close to their daughter Anne, son-in-law Brant Bayless,
and grandsons, Harrison and Edwin. In Logan, John enjoyed attending concerts of all kinds, and
together he and Linda contributed to a myriad of community organizations.
John valued education and the arts for all, and was active in supporting both throughout his
professional career. A long-time donor to Georgetown University, he helped fund the Davis
Performing Arts Center, which opened on campus in 2005, and was a lifelong booster for the
Hoyas Basketball program. He has also been a loyal donor to the Fort Lauderdale Children's
Ballet Theatre, of which his granddaughters Addison and Emilia are proud company members. In
Logan, John and Linda established several endowments to support students in need at Utah State
University. Music in particular brought him great joy, whether buying season tickets to the
Metropolitan Opera in New York City, attending recitals by his children and grandchildren, or just
dancing up a storm at one of the New Year's Eve parties he and Linda hosted when they were
living in Kalamazoo.
John is survived by his wife Linda, sisters Toni and ML, daughters and sons-in-law Mary
(Christopher Burns), Meg (Kevin Cairns) and Anne (Brant Bayless) and his four grandchildren,
Addison Cairns, Emilia Cairns, Harrison Bayless, and Edwin Bayless. A memorial gathering for
all who wish to celebrate John's life is tentatively planned for the late spring of 2023. In lieu of
flowers, please consider a donation to The Kalamazoo Junior Symphony Orchestra..
Contributions can be arranged by emailing [email protected] or calling 269-349-7557.
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