Francis M Paris' Obituary
Paris, Francis M., 78, of St. Petersburg, Florida, died Sunday, February 9. He was born to the late Meade and Elizabeth Anne Paris, Dec. 16, 1935, in Steubenville, OH. Francis graduated as valedictorian from Steubenville High School, earned a BA from Northwestern University and a Master's in Public Health from the University of California - Berkeley. Francis pursued a career in public health administration, eventually locating to Dayton, OH, where he served as administrator of Children's Medical Center and helped establish the ambulatory care program for the medical school at Wright State University. In 1983, Fran accepted a position at the Florida Mental Health Institute at the University of South Florida, where he served as deputy administrator until he retired in 2005. As a sports aficionado, Fran was thrilled when his city was finally awarded a professional baseball team and equally excited when USF joined the ranks of collegiate football. He held season tickets for the Bulls, Rays and Buccaneers and truly enjoyed all sports. His St. Petersburg home was frequently the center of large gatherings for family and friends, and he had a passion for travel, visiting Argentina, Italy, Amsterdam, France, Monaco, England and Hong Kong. Fran is survived by his partner, Edgardo Scott; his sister, Barbara Hjort of Lake Havasu, AZ; three children: David Paris of Brandon; Sandra Tuell of St. Petersburg; Elizabeth Heinz of Peoria, AZ; and five grandchildren. In lieu of flowers, the family is requesting that donations be made to Community Tampa Bay or the American Diabetes Association. The public is invited to greet the family at 2 pm. Thursday at the Funeral Home. A memorial service will be held to honor Fran's life at 3 pm with burial to immediately follow.
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