Eldon G. Francis

Eldon G. Francis, Lt. Colonel USAF, Retired, of Olympia, passed away at Madigan Army Medical Center on March 20, 2019, after a long battle with Parkinson’s Disease. Eldon was born December 25, 1938 in Hilt, California, to Ernest and Lela Francis. He attended high school in Medford, Oregon, where he excelled in athletics. He lettered in football, baseball and track for four years, and set the national javelin record in his senior year. At Southern Oregon College (now University), he received a B.S. degree in Education. He played football and baseball and was selected as an all-conference catcher his final year in college. He later received a M.S. degree in Public Administration from Auburn University, Alabama. He was commissioned in the U.S. Air Force in 1963 and served for 24 years, attaining the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. He served in Vietnam at Tuy Hoa AB from 1969 to 1970, flying as a navigator on C-130 aircraft in Air Rescue. Additionally, he flew in and out of Vietnam for a number of years, transporting troops, supplies and medivac patients both at McChord AFB and RAAF Base Richmond, NSW. Australia, where he served on exchange for two years. He was awarded numerous medals but was most proud of his Distinguished Flying Cross and the Air Medal with eight oak leaf clusters. He also served as a navigation instructor at the U.S. Air Force Academy; as an Operations Officer in Germany; and at the Pentagon in Public Affairs. After retirement, Eldon worked as Marketing Director (Middle East and SW Asia) for Recon Optical in Barrington, Illinois, and as a Paralegal at Connolly, Tacon and Meserve in Olympia. Eldon had a love of the outdoors and spent as much time as possible hiking and backpacking. He also enjoyed learning about wines and traveled to many wine regions in Europe and Australia. He volunteered for various organizations, usually around wildlife, and spent time during many summers and winters in Yellowstone. He and Linda traveled the world after retirement, which took them, among other places, from the far north of Svalbard Islands, Norway, to see polar bears and to the tropical rainforests of Amazonia Ecuador and Brazil to see tropical birds. Eldon had traveled around the world. He is survived by his wife of 56 years, Linda (Hatcher); daughter, Jennifer Francis; son-in-law, Ken Smith; sister, Charlene Hanson (Ralph); sister-in-law, Sherril Harshbarger; sister-in-law, Janet Coats; brother-in-law, Dan Coats; and longtime family friend, Sally Cowperthwait. A casual Celebration of Life will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, Eldon suggested that contributions be sent to Wolf Haven International, 3111 Offut Lake Rd., SE, Tenino, WA, 98589 or to Yellowstone Forever, P.O. Box 117, Yellowstone National Park, WY, 82190.