Fran was born Feb. 19, 1927, in Jeannette, Pa., graduated from high school there, and after serving in the Coast Guard during World War II, attended Kiskiminetas Prep in Saltsburg, Pa.
At Princeton, he was a member of Tower, played freshman and varsity football, and roomed with Alan “Porky” Clark. After his sophomore year, Fran left to join The Jeannette News-Dispatch as a reporter, and in 1950 he and Carolyn Beiersdorfer were married. He was with The Parkersburg (W.Va.) News and Sentinel from 1975 to 1992, when he retired as publisher. Fran was a former secretary-treasurer of the West Virginia Press Association.
Active in community affairs, Fran served as president of Rotary and was a member of Artsbridge and the Parkersburg Area Community Foundation. A golfer, Fran also was a Pittsburgh Steelers fan and in earlier years coached midget football and church-league baseball. He was a past member of the Elks and Parkersburg Country Club.
Fran died of congestive heart failure July 29, 2008. He is survived by Carolyn; their son, Reed, and his wife Arlene; daughter Susan Stewart and her husband, Bill; two grandchildren, three step-grandchildren; and one step-grandchild.