William (Bill) Delwin Frans, 84

William (Bill) Delwin Frans, 84, passed away on Sunday, March 2, 2014, at Kootenai Medical Center.

Bill was born on Aug. 4, 1929, in Kettle Falls, Wash., to Leslie and Elva Hodgson Frans. He moved with his family to the Naples area in 1935. He attended Naples and Highland Flats grade schools and Bonners Ferry High School. He moved to Kettle Falls for his senior year and graduated in 1948. Following graduation he joined the Army.

He married Grace Schuon Gillespie in 1956 and adopted her two daughters Deborah and Maryann. They had three more children, Edith, David and Billie Jean. They separated in 1965.

After 20 years of service Bill retired from the Army in 1968. He had reached the rank of staff sergeant. In that same year he married the love of his life, Jackie, and together they managed motels in the state of Washington.

After her death in 1980 he settled in Seattle. He had several different occupations until his final retirement.

In December of 2001 he moved back to Bonners Ferry to be near family. He was known to tell a good story and entertained the nursing staff of Boundary Community Hospital and Kootenai Medical Center. He passed on with many stories untold.

He was preceded in death by his father, mother, his wife Jackie, his sisters Geraldine Frans, Joyce McCalmant, Glenda McCalmant and his youngest daughter, Billie Jean Hubbell.

Bill is survived by his children, Deborah (Melvin) Wood and Edith (Ronald) Erickson of Bonners Ferry, Maryann Frans of Spokane and David Frans of Coeur d’Alene, nine grandchildren and 10 great grandchildren with one more on the way. He is also survived by his brothers Wayne Frans of Hayward, Calif., and Floyd Frans of Darley, N. Yorkshire, England, sisters Lynda Cossairt of Spokane and Carole Dinning of Bonners Ferry.

His request was that there be no service. Because of the loss of his wife, daughter, two sisters, a dear sister-in-law and friends to cancer they ask that any memorials be made to the American Cancer Society.