Obituary of Frances M. Bourdon

Françoise (Frances) Menard Bourdon passed away June 16, 2019 in Batavia, New York.  Frances was born March 22, 1925 in Alfred, Ontario, Canada to Isaie and Alma (Sibué) Menard.  She was preceded in death by her husband Albert Eugene  (Gene) Bourdon, her children Anne and Mark, twin brother  Rev. Francis Menard and sister Helen White. She is survived by a brother, John Menard (Sophie) and sister, Gloria Breh (Michael), her 4 children (and their spouses), Mary Lou Bailey (Ernie), John Bourdon (Claudia), James, and Denise Spadaccia (Larry), 10 grandchildren and 11 great grandchildren.  She and her husband, Eugene Bourdon, operated Bourdon Oil and Tire in Cobleskill, New York from 1957 until Gene’s death in 1981. Frances continued to live in Cobleskill, but spent winters in Maryland with her son, John and daughter-in-law, Claudia.  Frances was a member of St. Vincent DePaul Church and active in the hospital auxiliary. She enjoyed regular family gatherings with her siblings, nieces, nephews, children, grandchildren, great grandchildren and their friends at Thanksgiving, Easter and at any other opportunity.  

In the words of her grandchildren, ‘Granny’ was the epitome of beauty, strength and grace, and looked for sunshine in every day.  She was often referred to as ‘solar powered’! She was ever present in our lives, celebrating our victories, and acknowledging our struggles.  She always had time to read us books, look at our pictures, and sing songs. In her final two months, she continued to teach us by modeling how to die with grace, strength, courage, and dignity.  Granny will be the center of stories around the card table for generations to come continuing to fill hearts with warmth, laughter, and love. She lives on in her many grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Visitation will be at Falcone Family Funeral & Cremation Service Inc., 8700 Lake Road, LeRoy, New York on Tuesday evening, June 25 from 5-7PM.  Visitation will also be held at 9:30 AM on Wednesday, June 26 at St Vincent DePaul Church in Cobleskill, New York followed at 11AM with a Mass of Christian Burial.  

In lieu of flowers, people are invited to contribute in her memory to Crossroads House in Batavia, NY (http://crossroadshouse.com) or St. Vincent DePaul Church (http://stvincentdepaulcobleskillny.com).