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Francis, Liz

April 28, 1940 –
 March 17, 2017

Obituary

Liz Francis (born Julia Frances Elizabeth Davis) (aka Gaga, aka Betty) died peacefully on March 17, 2017 due to chronic lung disease. Liz dedicated her life to the loving care of others.  She spent the bulk of her career at the Warren Center, helping young children with developmental disabilities and their families.  Most recently she taught graduate level courses in infant mental health at UTD. She was happiest when caring for someone, whether a student, a client, a puppy, a kitten, or one of her beloved three daughters Becky, Kathy & Julie.  As a 25-year breast cancer survivor, she eased the experience of other women going through treatment. She spent the last 28 years of her life in a loving relationship with Martha Blair, exploring all corners of the globe and the country, plus every restaurant in Dallas TX.  Liz was born and raised in Crowell, TX and is predeceased by her parents Foster and Elizabeth Davis and her brother Bob Davis.  She is survived by her loving partner Martha Blair and her three daughters: Becky Francis Emin (and her husband James Emin), Kathy Francis (and her wife Kari Bowman), Julie Francis (and her husband Fred Evenson), and Julie’s two children Bella Evenson and Simone Evenson. She was “other mother” to Jackie Moore, Trip Moore, and Scott Blair, and “Gaga” to Jackie’s two children Hannah and Blair. Liz had a quiet dry wit, a warm compassionate heart, quiet strength, a thirst for good wine, and an affection for all things sweet or chocolate.  She’s been described as one of the most loving and lovable people on the planet.  She has positively impacted the lives of so many and will be dearly missed. Please join us in celebrating the amazing life of Liz Francis by raising a toast of good wine or any form of dessert, to her humor, grace, endless compassion, and generosity. Services will be at The Episcopal Church of St. Thomas the Apostle at Mockingbird & Inwood, Dallas, Monday, March 20 at 10:00 AM.  A reception will follow.  In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to The Warren Center (thewarrencenter.org) or The Episcopal Church of St. Thomas the Apostle (http://thedoubter.org/).   Arrangements are under the direction of: ARIA Cremation Service & Funeral Home 19310 Preston Road, Dallas, Texas 75252 214-306-6700

    Ashley Borthick
    20 Mar 2017
    8:28am

    She was a wonderful teacher and mentor. She will be greatly missed.

    Pamela Villanueva
    20 Mar 2017
    3:16pm

    When my daughter, Feliza Villanueva, was and infant, she received services through the Richardson Development Center from 1980 – 1983. At that time, Liz was instrumental in preserving the mental health of our entire family. I will always be appreciative of the support that I received from the mother’s group, and my oldest daughter, Celest, still talks about the wonderful siblings events that Liz organized for the brothers and sisters of children with disabilities. Liz holds a special place in our hearts, as she does for so many others. God blessed her with His Grace, and she willingly shared it with the rest of us.

    Sara Bessette
    21 Mar 2017
    11:53am

    Liz was one of my favorite professors, mentors and a friend. She made me passionate about the work I wanted to do and always listened and supported me in my ideas and goals. She will be greatly missed- the world has lost a truly giving person.

    Kay Hopper
    21 Mar 2017
    7:03pm

    Liz influenced my professional life and personal life greatly! For years, whenever I faced a difficult situation or decision, I would replay “Liz tapes” in my head that would help me both reach a decision and be able to share it with others. Remembering her kindness and caring will be felt by many.

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Testimonials

R. Driver
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"Excellent customer service, they made you feel like you were their only customer. Very helpful and explained what we should expect during the process. They basically took care of our needs during this time. They contacted DFW National Cemetery for us which made it a smooth experience. Definitely will use them again."
K. Barker
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"I was amazed how professional the team at Aria Funeral Preston Dallas Texas are. They guided me through the process and my options of their services that they offered for my mother. They are compassionate, caring, calm, good listener, efficient and did an excellent job! Thank you!"
R. Woll
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"If I could give 6 stars I would. Aria made a difficult easier to deal with by basically taking care of everything in an efficient but very empathetic manner. I can speak highly enough of Dusty Martin, who helped us with all of the planning and logistics. He was incredibly understanding and helpful."
Angel M.
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"Nothing prepares you for the grief you go through when losing a child. I called this funeral home at 2:00 am broken and could barely talk. The amount of compassion and empathy they showed me immediately let me know I found the right place to cremate my son. I cannot thank them enough for their professionalism, SINCERE concern, and commitment to making sure my son was honored in the most respectful way. I hope this Funeral home values her as much as my family and I do."
McGee Family
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"Wayne and Staff, thank you for taking care of the arrangements for our mom, Exter McGee and our dad, Philip McGee. You have been great to work with during such a difficult time."
Elledge Family
Elledge Family
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"On behalf of my family, I wanted you to know how much we appreciate your handling of my husband's final arrangements. Wayne Baxter assisted & guided us through the entire process with such care & compassion. Don't know what we would have done without him! Sincerely, Colleen Elledge"
The Peterson Family
The Peterson FamilyYelp! Review - Northwest Highway 5-Stars
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"I can’t say enough about how helpful and professional Dusty Martin, the funeral director at the Aria Cremation location on NW Highway has been. From my initial call, he was kind and informative. My friend died at home while on hospice and she was picked up in about an hour after receiving the call from the hospice nurse. The person who arrived to pick her up was also very professional/respectful and allowed us to take as much time with her as we wished. When I met with Dusty the next day about arrangements, he explained the process and options available without being pushy or trying to “sell” extras. Throughout the process, he kept me informed and, for example, was careful to be certain I understood the cost of the obituary I wanted and offered some options for reducing that cost if I wished. When I stopped by for another reason and started talking about some of the problems I was having with the pictures and media I hoped to use at a memorial lunch I was planning, he not only listened patiently but offered technology advice and let me use his personal media player. I have had experience arranging cremations for four others using two other local companies, and this experience with Dusty at Aria has been by far the best one I have had."
Paula Barnes
Paula BarnesGoogle Review
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"My Daddy’s service and our family experience at Aria Northwest Highway was truly blessed. Funeral Director Dustin Martin is the kind of person that you would like to see on a more regular basis – but in his industry – you hope to not see him that often. That being said – THANK YOU DUSTIN for your unending kindness, compassion and friendship through the process. Meeting you and discussing Dallas History, Find A Grave and my Dad’s lifelong contributions to the great City of Dallas was simply wonderful! In memory of my dad James A. Dodd, Sr. – I want to personally thank you and let you know that you made everything better in that moment. Your calling to “Be There” is spot on. Aria has a one in a million guy in you! Bling Blinky of TEXAS Shout Out: God Bless You!!"
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Important Information

  1. If death has occurred and or is imminent, please call the Aria location nearest you.

    PRESTON ROAD
    214.306.6700

    NORTHWEST HIGHWAY
    214.340.8008

    BELTLINE ROAD
    972.607.4400

  2. Click here to Download the Cremation Forms.
  3. Have the cremation authorization form notarized
  4. Fax the forms back to us at:
    • NW Highway
      214-340-8009
    • Preston Rd.
      972-526-7410
    • Belt Line Rd.
      972-573-1008
 

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