Frances
Frances M. Laba
FRANCES LABA
Frances (Fran) Mary (Harris) Laba, Sun Lakes, Arizona resident and wife of the late Gerald Gabriel Laba, passed away unexpectedly on Thursday, May 19, 2016 in Chandler, Arizona. She was 90 years old. Born to Elsie (Garland) and Samuel Harris on March 22, 1926, in St. John’s, Newfoundland (Canada), Frances lived life to the fullest. As a young woman, she worked as a legal secretary, and entertained military troops as a USO dancer during World War II. It was during this time when she met her loving husband and moved to Long Island, New York to be married on October 17, 1948. Fran was a loving and devoted wife and mother, who tremendously dedicated herself to her four children. Among various volunteer roles, Frances served as both Girl Scout troop and Boy Scout den leaders. As her children left for college, she and her husband renovated several lakeside properties, allowing them to retire early to Dover, New Hampshire. After her husband’s death in 1992, she relocated to Sun Lakes, Arizona to be closer to family and enjoy the warm desert climate. Given the support of her children, Frances continued to enjoy living comfortably at home up until the time of her passing.
Fran was truly an inspiration and shining light to her family and everyone who knew her. She lived her life devoted to God, with great integrity, grace, kindness and passion, forever filling our hearts with love and laughter through her humor, her creativity and her limitless energy.
Frances is survived by two sons, Paul Richard Laba of Dover, NH and David Charles Laba of Atlanta, GA; two daughters, Suzanne Laba of Sun Lakes, AZ and Elizabeth Ann (Betsy) Mularoni of Phoenix, AZ; a daughter-in-law, Karen Anne (Lybeck) Laba of Dover, NH; a son-in-law, Marco John Mularoni of Phoenix, AZ; a sister, Elizabeth (Betty) Isabel (Harris) O’Grady of Mt. Pearl, Newfoundland, Canada; four grandsons, Keith Eric Laba and his wife, Grace (Ho), Kevin Edward Laba, Samuel Ryan Laba-Barry and Matthew Harris Mularoni; two granddaughters, Sarah Gabrielle Laba-Barry and Mikayla Isabelle Mularoni; two great-grandsons, Vincent James Laba and Andrew (Drew) Laba; and a great-granddaughter, Dakotah Frances Glidden.
A private family viewing will be held at 5-5:30pm, with a public memorial service at 6-7pm on Monday, May 23, 2016 at Bueler Mortuary and Chapel in Chandler, Arizona (
www.buelermortuary.com
). A Funeral Mass of Catholic faith and memorial service will be celebrated at a later date in Dover, New Hampshire. Burial with Frances’ husband will follow at St. Mary’s New Cemetery. Memorial donations, if desired, may be made to St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital (
www.stjude.org
), 501 St Jude Place Memphis, TN 38105, or the Newfoundland Palliative Care Association at P.O. BOX 39023, ST. JOHN’S, NL, A1E-5Y7.
Frances (Fran) Mary (Harris) Laba, Sun Lakes, Arizona resident and wife of the late Gerald Gabriel Laba, passed away unexpectedly on Thursday, May 19, 2016 in Chandler, Arizona. She was 90 years old. Born to Elsie (Garland) and Samuel Harris on March 22, 1926, in St. John’s, Newfoundland (Canada), Frances lived life to the fullest. As a young woman, she worked as a legal secretary, and entertained military troops as a USO dancer during World War II. It was during this time when she met her loving husband and moved to Long Island, New York to be married on October 17, 1948. Fran was a loving and devoted wife and mother, who tremendously dedicated herself to her four children. Among various volunteer roles, Frances served as both Girl Scout troop and Boy Scout den leaders. As her children left for college, she and her husband renovated several lakeside properties, allowing them to retire early to Dover, New Hampshire. After her husband’s death in 1992, she relocated to Sun Lakes, Arizona to be closer to family and enjoy the warm desert climate. Given the support of her children, Frances continued to enjoy living comfortably at home up until the time of her passing.
Fran was truly an inspiration and shining light to her family and everyone who knew her. She lived her life devoted to God, with great integrity, grace, kindness and passion, forever filling our hearts with love and laughter through her humor, her creativity and her limitless energy.
Frances is survived by two sons, Paul Richard Laba of Dover, NH and David Charles Laba of Atlanta, GA; two daughters, Suzanne Laba of Sun Lakes, AZ and Elizabeth Ann (Betsy) Mularoni of Phoenix, AZ; a daughter-in-law, Karen Anne (Lybeck) Laba of Dover, NH; a son-in-law, Marco John Mularoni of Phoenix, AZ; a sister, Elizabeth (Betty) Isabel (Harris) O’Grady of Mt. Pearl, Newfoundland, Canada; four grandsons, Keith Eric Laba and his wife, Grace (Ho), Kevin Edward Laba, Samuel Ryan Laba-Barry and Matthew Harris Mularoni; two granddaughters, Sarah Gabrielle Laba-Barry and Mikayla Isabelle Mularoni; two great-grandsons, Vincent James Laba and Andrew (Drew) Laba; and a great-granddaughter, Dakotah Frances Glidden.
A private family viewing will be held at 5-5:30pm, with a public memorial service at 6-7pm on Monday, May 23, 2016 at Bueler Mortuary and Chapel in Chandler, Arizona (
www.buelermortuary.com
). A Funeral Mass of Catholic faith and memorial service will be celebrated at a later date in Dover, New Hampshire. Burial with Frances’ husband will follow at St. Mary’s New Cemetery. Memorial donations, if desired, may be made to St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital (
www.stjude.org
), 501 St Jude Place Memphis, TN 38105, or the Newfoundland Palliative Care Association at P.O. BOX 39023, ST. JOHN’S, NL, A1E-5Y7.
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