Obituary of Frances V Durant

Our Mom's Journey Frances Vera Durant March 26, 1923 - July 5, 2020 At the age of 97, On July 5th, 2020, a light of love was extinguished on this earth, as the Lord took our beloved mother Frances to be reunited with her husband Harry Durant, her mother and father Helen and Howard Willis, her brother James Willis and all of her beloved dogs. She leaves a legacy of love in her children, son Lawrence, his wife Elaine, daughters, Carmen, her husband Ed Zonio, Marlene, her husband Tim Culver, Diane, her Husband Nelson Shirley, Therese, her husband Tim Baxter, and her youngest daughter Lisa Durant, who cared for her in the last years of her life. She was blessed with 13 grandchildren, 13 great-grandchildren and one great-great grandchild. To say she lived life to the fullest is an understatement, Frances loved life and never hesitated when an opportunity presented itself to "seize the moment". Raising 6 children was a task in itself but it was not enough for her, once the kids were old enough she decided to start a career in food service and there she worked until she was 80 years old! Music was in her soul and when a good 70;'s rock tune was played, she was on the dance floor rocking with the best of them, and often outlasted even the most robust dancers, she aptly earned the nickname "Dancing Queen". But Dancing Queen wasn't her only claim to fame, in her 70's and 80's she discovered the delights of line dancing, Casinos and especially White Russians. In fact she was the undisputed President of the "White Russian Club". She made the most of the last 20 years of her life, visiting Las Vegas two times and many, many casinos. If you ever lost track of her in a Casino, you just had to visit Penny Grove and she was sure to be found. She loved her family and delighted in any news they had to share, and made sure they all stayed connected with the latest happenings, truly, she put Facebook to shame. Beside the importance of her family, Mom loved her dogs, dachshunds held a special place in her heart, but she made sure to make room for Lily, a poodle mix, the last pup to survive her. Our family would like to send our most sincere thanks to Mom's physician, Marita Florina, for the compassionate care she has shown Mom for all these years. Also our deepest appreciation to Hospice at Lourdes, for the tender and loving care they showed our Mom throughout her end of life journey, The Hospice nurses, caregivers, Chaplin, social workers, each person encountered was a true angel of care and compassion. Forever constant in their reassurance as we traveled the path together, holding our hands, steadfast in their love and concern. Guiding us towards understanding not only Mom's journey, but the journey we all must face. Our family will forever be blessed by the kindness and grace Hospice showed us, truly something we will always treasure. Our love goes with you Mom, our memories we will forever cherish and we know that your light of love has gone from this earth, but it will shine forever in our hearts and in the celestial heavens. Services will be held at 1:00 pm, on Friday July 17th, at The Church of the Holy Family, Endwell, NY. Our family would like to support Hospice, so if you would like to make a donation in Memory of Frances Vera Durant, please do not send flowers, but instead consider a donation to "Hospice at Lourdes, 4102 Old Vestal Road, Vestal, NY 13850", your donation will help to ensure this loving support can be shared with another family making this difficult journey.