Mary Frances “Fran” Giardino passed away on January 17, 2026, at the age of 78. Fran was born on April 4, 1947, in Pueblo, Colorado, a place she always carried with her in spirit and pride.

Fran did more in one lifetime than many accomplish in two. She lived fully, bravely, and generously, with a sense of adventure that shaped not only her own life, but the lives of everyone fortunate enough to walk beside her.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Mary and Edmund Boltezar; her beloved grandmother, Mary Hrousky; her parents-in-law, Margaret and John Giardino; and her cherished son-in-law, William Thomas (Tom) Thweatt, whose loss she carried quietly and deeply. 

Fran is survived by her husband of 57 years, John R. “Rick” Giardino, whose strongest supporter she always was. Fran never said no to Rick’s wildest ideas, encouraging his wanderlust, adventures, and dreams with unwavering faith and humor. Together, they built a life defined by curiosity, courage, and love. She is also survived by her daughter, Anne-Marie Thweatt, and by her grandsons, Emerson and Eliot, whom she adored beyond measure and in whom she found endless joy. Fran is further survived by her sister-in-law and brother-in-law, Terry and Perry Hotzs; nieces Amanda and Brie, and nephew Freddie, her lifelong friend, Gayle Johnson; and numerous grandnieces and grandnephews who loved her dearly. 

Fran conquered all seven continents and summited mountain peaks across the world. One of her most treasured keepsakes was a wreath of mountain flowers crafted by porters after she reached the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro, a symbol of her strength, perseverance, and deep appreciation for the people and places she encountered along the way. 

Though Fran did not like heights, she showed remarkable courage by summiting peaks in Alaska, Colorado, Canada, Mexico, Patagonia, and Antarctica. Although she hated helicopters, she took helicopter journeys to remote glaciers in Alaska, Canada, and New Zealand, and braved extreme cold by sleeping on glaciers without tents in both Canada and Antarctica. 

Fran opened her home and her heart to all of Rick’s students, welcoming them as if they were her own. Over the years, she was asked to be godmother to several of their children. To many, her home was a place of belonging, generosity, and love. It truly belonged to everyone. Wherever Fran lived, she made a home. Whether in the United States or during several years she
lived in Africa, she had a gift for creating warmth, belonging, and connection. She befriended students easily and naturally, welcoming them into her life and into her home. In every place she lived, her home became a gathering place, a space filled with conversation, laughter, shared meals, and a sense of safety. To many students far from their own families, Fran’s home was where they felt seen, welcomed, and cared for.

For 25 years, Fran was a creative and deeply dedicated elementary school teacher. Teaching was not simply her profession; it was her calling. She nurtured, encouraged, and believed in her students, leaving an imprint that extended far beyond the classroom. Fran was not the kind of teacher who believed her work ended when the final bell rang. When the school day was over and most people went home to rest, she often got in her car and drove back out into the neighborhoods where her students lived. She went in the evenings, quietly, without fanfare. Not to scold. Not to judge. But to check on them. To make sure they were safe. To make sure they had eaten. To sit at kitchen tables and living rooms and help them work through homework that felt impossible when they were alone.

She understood something that not every teacher does: that learning doesn’t happen in a vacuum. That a child struggling in class is often carrying much more than a backpack. Fran wanted to see the whole picture. the home, the family, the circumstances, and then do what she could to help.

She didn’t just ask if the homework was done. She made sure it was understood. She explained, re-explained, encouraged, and stayed as long as it took. She believed that every child could learn if someone cared enough to meet them where they were. 

Those nights were unpaid. Unrequired. Unseen by most. But they mattered. They changed trajectories. They told her students, in the clearest way possible, you matter. Your education matters. You are worth my time. That was Fran as a teacher. Not just devoted to the profession but devoted to the children themselves. And long after lessons were forgotten that devotion is what remained. 

Fran’s father owned several shoe stores, which gave her the opportunity, and perhaps the destiny, to become a devoted lover of shoes and perfectly matched outfits, many from Talbots. Her sense of style was joyful, confident, and unmistakably hers. 

She was lovingly known as the Queen of G-Camp, serving as the heart and backbone of the Dr. John R. Giardino G-Camp for Teachers. Fran oversaw reservations, medical forms, logistics, and the printing of reading materials, all while becoming, regardless of age, a mother, aunt, confidante, or sister teacher to hundreds of participants. G-Camp teachers watched in awe as Fran also reigned supreme in rock and fossil collecting. Rick was convinced she had a secret plan to transport the mountains of Colorado to Texas, one summer at a time, by loading the bus with rocks. 

Fran’s life was rich with purpose, laughter, devotion, and adventure. She gave freely of herself, loved deeply, and lived boldly. Her absence leaves an immeasurable space, but her legacy lives on in the stories told, the lives shaped, and the love she poured into her family and community. 

Fran earned her bachelor’s degree from Colorado State University–Pueblo and her master’s degree in education from Texas Tech University. She also spent weeks at NASA Space Camps, an experience that deepened her lifelong love of science and space. A dedicated elementary school teacher, she taught third, fourth, and fifth grades, with a special passion for math and science. Fran delighted in sparking curiosity and helping her students see the wonder of learning, especially the excitement of space exploration. 

Fran was an exceptional cook, mastering the delicate art of handmade tortellini and reigning as the queen of homemade ravioli. Once, she and Rick prepared a pasta dinner for 350 students at St. Elizabeth’s in Lubbock. Fran never said no. One Thanksgiving, after learning that 32 international students had nowhere to go, she opened her home and created a joyful feast for them all.  She later earned a certificate from the Santa Fe School of Cooking, though her greatest lessons were always given at her own table. 

Above all else, Fran was a mother. Her love for Anne-Marie shaped every season of her life, guided every choice she made, and remained her greatest joy. In loving her daughter so completely, Fran gave the world her very best self. 

The Rite of Committal will be celebrated at the graveside by Monsignor Joe Mayo at Roselawn Cemetery in Pueblo, Colorado. Fran will be laid to rest in the family plot. The date and time will be announced at a later date.