Francis Paul Laflamme

After 89.5 years on this Earth, Francis Laflamme (Fran, or Franny) died quite suddenly on August 17, 2024 at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center after a brief illness. Fran was the second born child of Edmund and Mary Eva (LaFortune) Laflamme of Winchendon, MA. He graduated from Murdock High School in 1953 where he illustrated the class yearbook and was voted "Most Clever". At age 15, he would ride his red bicycle down Maple Street to Woodlawn Ave in Winchendon and somehow drove past Anna May Popple of Rindge, NH, also 15, while she visited her aunt's home. The two struck up a romance and married in 1958 smack dab in the middle of Fran's Army stint from 1957-1959. The US Army brought Fran to Europe where he fell in love with Germany and Switzerland. He vowed to return, but never made it back.

Fran spent decades in retail within the supermarket industry in Winchendon, MA. His first full time position was at "The Beef Shop", where he mastered every position up to and including Store Manager. He ran other supermarkets in town, and in 1983 opened Fran's Market in Winchendon Springs, MA. Fran's Custom Sportswear, his screen-printing business, followed his supermarket career.

in 1980, after the energy crisis of the 1970's, Fran designed and built a 2,600 sq ft double envelope, passive solar home on 5 acres of land in Rindge, NH. He cut down every tree, hammered just about every nail along with his son, John. Fran was a master builder and carpenter, artist, and could design and build just about anything imaginable.

In his spare time, he loved to build things and had several "seasonal" projects half completed at his home in Rindge. As a movie buff, he took his future-wife to see every Elvis movie ever made. He loved action, adventure, and comedies and would take his family to the movies every chance he could. He loved sports, especially his New England Patriots and Red Sox. He and his wife were motorcyclists in the 1970's and 80's- Fran was a member of Pete's Roamer Motorcycle Club in Lunenburg, MA serving as President for a time before building his home in Rindge.

Fran was a prankster, a joker, a riddler, and most of all, loved to make people laugh. Johnny Carson, Bob Hope, Jackie Gleason and even Rodney Dangerfield were brought back from his memory to amuse younger generations. He will be missed.

He was pre-deceased by his parents, his brother David Laflamme of Phoenix, AZ, and his sister Mary Iline (Laflamme) Sirois of Peterborough, NH. He leaves behind his wife of over 65 years, Anna May (Popple) Laflamme of Rindge, his brother Roger Laflamme and his wife Shirley (Christian) Laflamme of Winchendon, MA, his sister Doris (Laflamme) Bond and her husband, John of Concord, NH. In 1967, Fran began to finish the creation of his family by adopting the first of 2 children- John Paul Laflamme and in 1968, Lisa Marie (Laflamme) Laprade. John and his partner, Mindy Wheeler, currently reside in Rindge, NH. Lisa and her husband, Dennis made their home in North Providence, RI. 5 total grandchildren survive Fran- Nikki Laprade-McKay and her husband Dan of Smithfield, RI, Sean Laflamme of Rindge, Brett Laprade of North Providence, Danielle Laflamme of Rindge, and William Corcoran of Rindge, and one great-grandson, Ivan KJ McKay of Smithfield.

Family and friends are invited to a Mass of Christian burial on Tuesday, September 10, 2024 at 10:00 AM at the Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish, 52 Spruce Street, Winchendon, MA, 01475. Burial with military honors will take place immediately following at 11:00AM in the Chapel at Massachusetts Veterans Memorial Cemetery, 111 Glenallen Street, Winchendon, MA, 01475.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in Fran's name to "Kitty Rescue & Adoption" PO Box 468, 11 Plantation Drive, Jaffrey, NH 03452.