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I often think of Mrs. Finkel. The best English high school teacher! She taught a different method. I think is was links? I found my love of writing with her, I treasured her classes & kept my papers she graded as I was so proud of remarks and she was so happy I was getting her method. I will never forget her or watch she taught me. I tried to find the method and explain it to my daughter but with no success. She was the best! Such a great teacher who loved her students & loved teaching. I send my condolences to the family. Heaven just upped their writing skills!

As a career teacher myself, I know how difficult it is to meet the needs of the individual students we are responsible for. Fran was unique. She had a passion for her students that exuded from her when she talked about them, especially with their parents. She made each parent feel as if her child was one of her favorites, not just for that year but out of all the students she taught over her many years of teaching. She was compassionate and cared deeply about them. For 10 years after Fran taught my son, she would still ask me questions about him. Not typical ones such as how is he doing but rather questions such as , “Is he passionate about something?” I was lucky to know her and my son is a kinder and more confident young man as a result of her influence. Cheryl Rubel

I will always remember Mrs. Finkle as we affectionately called her. She was always so energetic and full of life. It was evident that she enjoyed the young adults that she taught and mentored through her time in the classroom. She was always in a good mood and a bit on the wacky side which she would also admit to us. She was an open book to those she thought. As an athlete she took extra care of us to make sure we always stayed in line while taking the extra time to stay late to help us keep up our grades up to be able to play.I remember helping Fran move her house and get things done that she could not do herself before she got married.Myself and a few others were always eager to repay her for the extra help she provided us. I know she will always be remember by all of us who she touched through her teachings. God Bless you will be missed greatly!! John Robert’s class of 1986

Of course, there is a typo below! I’m so sorry, Fran. I know that would drive you as crazy as it’s driving me right now, and I can’t figure out how to change it. S, cc S.

You couldn’t help but smile when I’m the presence of Fran. What a privilege it was to work with her and to know her. I’m sure her energy will live on in all of us.

Franny, my heart is broken yet I feel so blessed to have known you and worked with you even if it was for a brief period of time. You were an inspiration. Your sense of humor made the heavy days seem lighter and brighter; your dedication to the students and to your profession inspired me to be a better teacher; your support would breed unity and collaboration; you were one of a kind and will be deeply missed. Our family sends much love and light to your family. May you all cherish her legacy and soon find peace and comfort in her memory, but I promise, she will always be with you; especially in your hearts. Rest in Peace, my friend; you have succeeded in this life.

You taught me LINKS, you made me read, and you had to stop the class to explain what a Vicar is to a religion-lacking 11th grader. You were a teacher I could never forget because you gave your students your all. I saw you at Whole Foods last year. I ran up screaming your name and waving my hands. I was so excited to see you. You held up your hand indicating you were very busy and didn’t have time to chat, a very Mars Davis response that made me giggle later, but I insisted that you let me show you pics of my daughters. You obliged and sent me on my way. I will never forget you or miss punctuation. ❤️ My deepest condolences. Brandi Hammond-Givens

Dear Community,

I’m writing to let you know that my mother, Francine Davis, passed away this morning, December 4th, 2020, at 2am.

Thank you for the outpouring of love and support over the last few weeks. She was able to receive many goodbyes, hear many beautiful and powerful messages and reflections, and be present to the end of her life in a remarkably open, active, graceful, and accepting way. Mom’s decline was incredibly fast, which was hard to reconcile and keep up with at times. So many unfinished conversations, unasked questions, unfulfilled activities have to be laid to rest. The silver lining, however, is that she did not suffer in a long, drawn-out way. And I was able to be available and say goodbye in the ways I wanted to over these final days.

I previously and briefly wrote about her life, legacy, and impact, which you can read on her site. But, truly, her love, humor, dedication, and spirit is best captured by the stories and letters you left for her there. So please feel free to read and add to those Frangents. The site will remain up indefinitely in memoriam.

Jimmy and I were with Francine by her bedside in her final moments, comforting and loving her as best as we could. It was, yet again, a beautiful, hard, powerful passage to witness. In the last few minutes of her life, she was conscious and awake, moving through some sort of very intense internal finale. And as that passed, in her last few breaths, she was in a quiet and easeful state.

Sending her spirit much love and gratitude.

Jonathan

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Mrs. Davis, so much can be said about all that you have done. I am lucky enough to have spent two outstanding years with you and I would not have it any other way. Thank you for teaching me how to properly write and for providing me with a class to look forward to. Your incredible kindness, wit, and dedication will not go unnoticed. You bring out the best in people and allow creativity to run wild- something I strongly admire. I am so fortunate to have established a deep connection with you that will never be forgotten. Although it may sound silly, I think about the emails, texts, FaceTime calls, and Zoom calls discussing technology and what we could do to help the kids. Whether going off on a Frangent about Johnathan’s adventures or directing us in our portrayal of The Crucible, I have come to appreciate all of the little moments shared. You are a person who excels in what you do and inspires the hearts of so many others. From the bottom of my heart, thank you. All My Love, Chloe Kidd

Mrs. Davis- you will always be my favorite teacher. You were engaging, encouraging, inspiring, and fun in the classroom. You helped foster my love for language and writing. I developed my leadership skills under your guidance and support for the Killian Jewish Student Union when you volunteered as advisor. To this day, I still remember how proud I felt after learning that you decided to use a piece of my writing as an example of a good essay for future classes. You helped build my confidence and most importantly, you believed in me and my potential as a student and as a human being during those critical high school years. Your passion for teaching, for your students, and for life made it a joy to be in your classroom. I am lucky to have had the privilege to know you and to learn from you at Killian. You truly left a positive impact on my life, Mrs. Davis, and I will always remember how much I loved having you as my English teacher and as part of my high school experience. With so much love, Emily Roberts