Frances "Fran"'s Obituary
Frances “Fran” Olinger, 74, passed away on March 27, 2023, after a series of illnesses at a long-term care facility in Great Falls, MT. At her request, the family will hold a small private memorial service.
Fran was born in Great Falls on October 13, 1948, to Donald and Edith (Leona) Frank. She grew up in Sand Coulee, graduating from Centerville High School in 1967. In 1971, she moved to Conrad to work as a secretary for the Army Corps of Engineering’s anti-ballistic missiles. There, she met the love of her life, William “Bill” Olinger. They married on June 23, 1973, at St. Peter and Paul Catholic Church in Great Falls. The newlyweds moved to North Dakota for a brief period of time until moving to Sierra Vista, Arizona in 1974 for Bill’s job.
Bill and Fran had three children, Don, Shari, and Luci. Fran was a stay at home mom for a number of years until Bill retired. In 1987, the two flipped roles. Fran attended University of Arizona, where she obtained her Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work. She continued her education at Arizona State University, where she graduated with her Master’s Degree in Social Work. Fran pursued her Social Work career at various heath care facilities in Arizona. In 1993, the family moved back to Montana to be closer to loved ones. Fran began working as a Social Worker in the Nursing Home for Deaconess Hospital in 1994. She had a passion for helping people, so Social Work was the perfect career for her. She put in long hours and would do anything to help others - even if it came at her own sacrifices. She continued to work for Deaconess until the merger with what is now Benefis. She worked as a Social Worker for various units until she was forced to step away from the career she loved due to health reasons.
Fran suffered a stroke when she was 51 years young. Unfortunately, she was not able to return to work after this devastating event. Fran worked hard to overcome any obstacles in her way. She enjoyed walking in her neighborhood, visiting neighbors and taking time to smell the flowers. She put a lot of time into family, as family was very important to her. In addition, she was an active member of Holy Spirit Parish, attending church weekly when she was able to. She and Bill sat in the back row, where they were easily able to greet their friends arriving at church. After Covid hit, she enjoyed attending mass online. She attended as many masses as she could, as her faith gave her great comfort.
After suffering her stroke, Fran’s love of the color purple intensified. She was known as “The Purple Lady.” Almost everything she owned was purple. We would often find purple in the oddest places and were impressed with her ability to find a purple version of any item. The color purple gave her much comfort in her later years.
Fran also loved animals. She had numerous cats growing up and could still name every one of them, including Stinky, who fell in the outhouse when she was a child. As an adult, she was always bringing home a new dog for the family to love. She loved rescuing dogs from the shelters, who became lifelong friends to her. She also enjoyed planting roses and had rose gardens at her homes in Arizona and Montana.
Fran overcame a number of additional health scares in her later years, including a full code in 2019. She had a fighting spirit and sense of humor, which were very inspirational to all that knew her. Even in her final days, after spending 3 months in the hospital, Fran could still put a smile on anybody’s face that walked into her room. Despite the challenges she faced, she never complained and encouraged those that cared for her. She became known very affectionately by hospital staff as “Frannie.”
Fran is survived by her children, Don Olinger of Christiansburg, Virginia, Shari Simonsen of Great Falls, and Luci (Chris) Reid of Helena; grandchildren, Jayden and Kallie Simonsen and Alaina and Peyton Reid; brother, Gary Frank of Great Falls; many extended family members including cousins, nieces and nephews; and her always faithful dog, Joey. She was preceded in death by the love of her life, Bill Olinger and her parents Don and Leona Frank.
Arrangements are being handled by O’Connor Funeral Home. Her final resting place will be next to Bill in the Memory Gardens located at Holy Spirit Catholic Church. The family takes great comfort in knowing that Bill and Fran have been reunited in heaven.
