Frances Anne Mann

Frances Anne (Brown) Mann, age 91, of Liberty Lake Washington passed away February 19, 2023 after a long battle with renal failure and diabetes.

Fran was born September 22, 1931 in Spokane, Washington. She was the second child out of five children, born to Chester and Dorethy Brown. She grew up in Spokane and graduated from Lewis and Clark high school in 1949. She was preceded in death by her husband, Robert D Mann, daughter Linda Gallagher, parents Chester and Dorethy Brown, brother Richard Brown and sister Michele Brown Delatorre, all from Spokane, WA.

Fran is survived by brother James Brown of Spokane Valley, sister Bonnie Huhn of Kentucky, sons Michael (Cathy) Mann of Kennewick, Richard (Leslie) Mann of Bothell, Daniel (Sharon) Mann of Spokane Valley, John (Diane) Mann of E. Orting, Washington and Daughter Theresa (Daniel) Schmautz of Spokane Valley. She is also survived by 16 grand children 32 great grandchildren and 8 great great grandchildren.

Fran found and married her true love Robert D. Mann in 1958. They were married 44 years. They lived in Spokane, Liberty Lake, and Whidbey Island. They retired and settled back in Liberty Lake a second time in the 1990s, where they were very happy.

She was kind and caring, and a wonderful matriarch of the family. She will be sorely missed.

In later years, her friends and family remained most important. She enjoyed luncheons with her Red Hat friends, and her weekly games with the girls gave her much joy and companionship. Fran loved to play Mahjong, Mexican train, Bunko and Scrabble with her friends and family and was very competitive. Flowers and outings every week with her daughter, and frequent visits with her sons were priceless moments for her.

Life for Fran had many adventures! She related a story of when she was about 5 years old, she came down with the measles and was placed in a group home with the other ill children, for two weeks. She kind of liked it there, as the stocking footed children would get a running start, and slide down the length of the well waxed dormitory floor. She recalled her family would come to the front of the home and visit her through an open second story window.

Raising her boys could be a challenge at times. Fran was afraid of snakes as two of her sons found out, when they brought home a large king snake for a pet. She chased all of them out of the house with her broom, while yelling “something” very loudl! Yet she was brave enough to capture a bat that had found its way into the house one day. Dressed in her heavy bathrobe with a towel over her head and oven mitts on her hands, she battled the bat with her broom and captured it a pillow case… but kindly released it back into the wild. She was an expert with a broom!

Fran loved to garden, and for years could be found outside in her white pants, floppy hat, and garden gloves that covered her brightly colored nails. She loved to shop the antique stores, looking for unique items or wind chimes to add to her collection… and to compliment all the unique birdhouses her husband had built for her.

She loved to travel around the country, and especially enjoyed the cruises she went on to Alaska and to New England up through Canada, to see the fall foliage. She lliked to take pictures and movies of the scenery on her trips… although the camera panned a bit to fast to be able to enjoy the movies.

Fran worked for years as a medical receptionist/bookkeeper for various physicians, and for several years as a bookkeeper for a woman’s boutique clothing store called the Casual House in Oak Harbor, Washington. She finished her career at Albertsons in Liberty Lake, working customer service.

She was a talented artist and gardener, and loved visiting the Oregon shore with family. Her collection of seashells was impressive! Her home was filled with plants of all descriptions and varieties until later years. She supported various charities, even when all she had was her retirement monies. Her favorite charity St Judes Children Hospital, as she always had a heart for children. She was a very optimistic woman, and one of her favorite words was “Lovely”… and that became her response to most everything!

Fran was faithful in prayer, and read her Bible every night before bed. She loves God… and although she will be terribly missed by all, it is beautiful day in Heaven!

Services will be held at 11:00 AM, April 15, 2023 at St. Mary’s Catholic Church, 304 S. Adams Rd, Spokane Valley, Washington. We wish to extend our sincere thanks to the Kindred Hospice staff who helped at the end of life, and all the Fresenius physicians and dialysis technicians who cared for her.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.neptunesociety.com/location/spokane-cremation for the Mann family.