Françoise’s mother endured Nazi-occupied France as a child, and worked as a house cleaner. Françoise's father was only fifteen years old when his mother died, forcing him to leave home and search for work outside their small town of Bagley, Minnesota. He later enlisted in the Air Force, where he became a career machinist. Their married life was a nomadic existence, moving their family of five between France, Germany, England, and the United States—on two occasions while the family patriarch was deployed in Vietnam.

 

Born in Paris, Françoise did not learn English until the family was transferred to Florida when she was five years old. But it was not long before she rose to the top of her class. She started earning a paycheck at age sixteen, bagging groceries on the base BX, and never stopped working (including college) until she retired 30 years later to focus on family and community service.

 

Her unique upbringing informed a global perspective of cultural diversity and deepened her love for America. It shaped who she is today. Her sense of respect. Her work ethic. Her collegiality and ability to collaborate with people of divergent beliefs or social class. And her abiding appreciation for our military.