Obituary of Frances R. Barsalou

Sarasota, FL/ South Hadley, MA

Frances R. Barsalou died unexpectedly on May 5^th, 2023 at home in Sarasota, FL. She was born on March 22^nd 1942 in Boston, MA. 

Frances is survived by her loving husband, Don, who she was married to for 61 years. She is also survived by her children Donald Jr., and his wife Tina; her son, John and his wife Christine; her son Robert and his wife Kimberly; her daughter Debora Burnett, and her husband Rob; 10 grandchildren and 1 great grandchild.  Her family is saddened by the loss of an incredible woman, and Frances will be deeply missed by all her family and friends.

Frances’s greatest joy was raising her four children. She was the heartbeat of the family and was the essence of what an ideal mother should be to Don, John, Bob, and Debbie. From hockey to horseback riding, and everything in between, Frances always supported her family in every way possible.

Frances and her husband Donald, deeply valued traveling around the world together and began their adventures early in their marriage.  Disney was one of her favorite vacation locations starting in 1974. The family of six often drove to see her father in Ft. Walton Beach and then traveled to Disney. She was the biggest kid at the park and watched Disney grow through the years in awe.

Frances loved her family more than life itself, and in 1993, Donald and Frances bought a condo in Siesta Key, Florida to enjoy creating unforgettable memories with their growing family. The annual family vacations began, her most cherished time of year at her happy place with her children and grandchildren surrounding her. She shared these precious experiences, through her passion for photography, where she took thousands of spectacular photos capturing unforgettable moments of our lives.

She devoted her love and time caring for her grandchildren, Tadd, Katie, Kyle, and Eric, throughout their childhood. She was a dedicated grandmother to all her grandchildren, and treasured being involved in all the extra-curricular activities during the years, including the many sporting events. She and Donald continued their traveling journeys, by attending college sporting events near and far to support her grandchildren. Every single day with her family brought incredible joy to her life and her grandchildren’s.

Frances lived most of her married life in South Hadley, MA and relocated in 2020 to Sarasota, FL. She was an alumnus of Chicopee High School and attended Holyoke Community College following her passion in children’s education. During her time in South Hadley, she was a beloved assistant nursery school teacher for Center Church Nursery School. Frances absolutely loved working at Center Nursery School with children from South Hadley and watching them grow into flourishing adults. No matter where she lived, she loved caring for children and pursued being a nanny in Baltimore, MD and Detroit, MI. She will be deeply missed.

A visitation with family and friends is scheduled for 11:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. on May 30^th at Beers & Story South Hadley Funeral Home at 646 Newton St. South Hadley, MA 01075, where family and friends are welcome to join in honor of her memory. As a breast cancer survivor, in lieu of flowers, gifts may be made to Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in loving memory of Frances R. Barsalou to support cancer research and patient care by going to dana-farber.org/gift.