Obituary of Frances Anita Gee Friday

Frances Anita Gee Friday, 90, passed away April 29, 2024. 

Visitation: Scripture Service at 6:00 followed by visitation until 8:00 p.m. on Friday, May 3, 2024 at Thompson's Harveson & Cole Funeral Home, 4350 River Oaks Blvd.

Funeral Service: 1:00 p.m. Saturday, May 4, 2024 at Thompson's Harveson & Cole Funeral Home with a reception following in the Drawing Room. 

Entombment: Greenwood Mausoleum

One of four children, Frances was the second of three sisters, a brother passed away as a very young child. She was born in Desdemona, Texas, to Francis “Frank” and Neta Gee, December 13, 1933.

From Desdemona, the young family moved to Talco Texas, where Frank owned a service station. Around 1940 before the end of WWII, the family moved to Fort Worth, Texas where Frank worked at the Convair Bomber Plant. When the war ended, the girls rode their bicycles all around the Ridglea neighborhood in celebration. They grew very deep roots in Fort Worth.

Frances was an avid lifelong reader, lover of words, and knowledge for its own sake. She attended Arlington Heights Elementary, Stripling Middle School and graduated from Paschal High School. After high school she worked for SW Bell Telephone company and used her earnings to enroll at Texas Wesleyan College to study business. There she met a young basketball player from Pennsylvania, John Friday. They were married the day after he graduated.

Life as a young couple began in Poolville, Texas where John began his coaching career. In the early part of the 1960s, they moved to Fort Worth, Texas where John began his 26 year career with Our Lady of Victory, which went on to become Nolan Catholic High School. Frances was by his side in Nolan’s first years, supporting him with the development of all the athletic programs.

A lifelong sports fan, she took great pleasure watching all kinds of games and athletic competitions. But particularly, her beloved Texas Rangers. Her interest in, knowledge of, sports was impressive and a constant source of excitement and entertainment. Seeing her Rangers take the series in 2023 was a dream come true for her.

Her children were her purpose. First born was Rebecca Ann, cherished as Becky, followed by John Leon, Jr, whom they called Lee, Paul Phillip and finally Stephen Kennedy.

Returning to work when her children had begun school, Frances was a Kindergarten teacher and then a certified Teacher’s Aide in the Fort Worth Independent School District. Many years in classrooms, she was both educator and mentor to new arrivals to teaching. Later, she joined the Administration team of the FWISD for 30 years. Frances and her colleagues devoted themselves to educating children.

She and John raised their family, and, were integral to the development of Nolan High School. Among her colleagues, and, thousands of students in FWISD and Nolan, she is remembered as “sweet and kind”, “very special”, and, by many, as "a Second Mom". Frances was blessed withed with five grandchildren, Bryan, Kevin, Matthew, Rachel and Conner, her greatest joys were those times babysitting, attending their games, and, watching them grow to adulthood. The grandchildren have now blessed her with four great grandchildren, and two more to arrive within the upcoming months.

Her husband John preceded her in death in 2012, along with her beloved sister, Betty Gee Higgins in 1991 and her son-in-law, Mark Jenson in 2002.

She is survived by her sister, Shirley Prater; daughter, Becky Friday Staats and son-in-law D.E., their son, Kevin Jenson and their daughter, Rachel O’Rourke and husband, Sean; Lee Friday and daughter -in-law, Tracy, their son, Bryan Friday and wife, Hillary, their sons John Robert and Ford; son, Matthew Friday and wife, Lindsey, their sons, Jeffrey and Jackson; Paul Friday, his son Conner; and son, Steve Friday; nephews, Doug and Brad Higgins, Dean, Frank, and Perry Prater, as well as her, niece Karen Kinnard, all of their children and families, as well as numerous extended family in and around the Pittsburg, Pennsylvania area.

Hers was a life well lived!  Her request was, in lieu of flowers, consider a contribution to Catholic Charities Fort Worth.