Cora S. (Cook) Francoeur

Cora was such a funny, intelligent, and insightful person. She seemed to be the only person who really knew what was going on in the family, and was the sanest Francoeur by far. I loved her so much, even when I was a young child. She never treated me like a child. She would just talk to me honestly and directly. She never candy-coated facts or talked down to me, and she was so perceptive that I wondered how she stayed so informed. I had many conversations with her that stretched into hours long. Her mind never slowed down, no matter her age or health. She was also so honest with herself, and had a wonderful sense of humor. Not the kind of self-deprecation that hides pain… She had no illusions about her health, but she was a stark realist, and didn’t waste too much time in self-pity. If she did, I could never tell because she was always asking questions about me, or wanting to know what was going on with other people. I loved Cora’s jokes and I loved her laugh. She also cracked me up with her talk about Uncle Donnie. The two of them would argue, but you could always tell that they loved each other. She would make some joke about one of Donnie’s quirks, and her affection for him was so apparent. I sort of lost touch with Cora from time to time after becoming an adult and starting a family of my own, not hearing from her for over a year some times, but every time we talked it was as if no time had passed at all. It was like we were just old friends who had just been talking all day the day before, and we were just picking up where we left off. She also helped me in many ways. She would always help me see the other side of things, always empathizing with everyone… She was very quick to forgive (a necessary trait in our family), and she taught me to be the same way. Not just other people either, but self forgiveness. She had an uncanny skill for getting people on her wavelength, and making them feel like they were okay. And NO ONE could beat that woman at Trivial Pursuit! Damn, she was good. For someone who didn’t get out much, she sure knew about a lot of things. Cora, thank you for always being such an accepting and unconditionally loving friend and family member. You represent all that is best about the our family, and I will miss you.