Mary (Allen)
Francis - 2003-11-25
Since last I wrote one of these,
we've been back & forth the country a few more times. In 1984
my husband, Lee, & I both received our Master's in Education from San
Francisco State. We then moved back to Virginia for a few years.
In 1986 it was back to Albuquerque to check in on Lee's parents - both
were in poor health. Then in 1987 we moved to Santa Barbara for a
year - Lee worked at UCSB & I had a great job working in the Sales
Office at a resort hotel. Then in 1989 we moved to Long Beach - Lee
went to work for Cal State Long Beach & I went to work for as office
manager at a Congregational Church - another great job. In 1990,
Lee's parents moved in with us for the last year of his mother's life.
She passed away in 1991 & then we moved back to Virginia. I went
to work at another church - Unitarian this time, while Lee reorganized
& directed the "Washington Internship for Native Students (WINS)".
In 1996, we decided it was time for a change (that & the fact that
American University cut some of the funding for the WINS program).
So what to do now - where to go? Stay on the east coast or move on.
Move on it was - back to Missouri for a couple of years for me, only one
for Lee. He was offered the position of Interim Director of the Native
American Studies Dept at the University of New Mexico. Since it was
only Interim, we decided I would stay in Columbia until a decision was
made about a permanent director. However, by spring of '98 I was
tired of the long distance relationship. So everything went back
into storage & off I went to NM again. Lee did become the Director
of the Dept. I also went to work for UNM and life went along great
until 2001. Lee's father passed away on Sept. 11, 2001 - between
the towers. Then in Feb. 2003, my wonderful husband was diagnosed
with Cancer & passed away July 7. However, some wonderful things
happened before he passed: He received the Albuquerque Arts Alliance
Bravo Award for excellence in Literature for his new poestry book "On the
Good Red Interstate"; he was invited to the International Taos Poetry Circus;
lots of wonderful family & friends came from around the country to
visit and reminisce. I miss him terribly (we would have been married
32 years on Aug. 12), but what an adventure we had together, as I told
him before he died "it's been a trip", and the next time will be even better.
It's very strange & a little scarey to live alone again, it will take
some time getting used to, but my son lives close by (next door actually)
& life does go on - through the good times & not so good.
I'm still with the University, but for how long, I can't say. I'm
sorry I could not be there for the reunion -I'll see you next time.