Frances A. (Ferragamo) Gardner

Warner, New Hampshire – Frances A. Gardner died peacefully on January 5, 2023, with her family by her side. Frances was 97, and just 8 days shy of her 98th birthday.

Frances was born January 13, 1925, Francesca Antoinette Ferragamo on Staten Island, NY to Italian immigrant parents, Luca and Fanny Ferragamo and was the youngest of seven children. She was raised amongst a large loving extended family where she was always surrounded by family, great food, laughter, and love.
She graduated Curtis High School in 1943 and went to work in a bank in downtown Manhattan at a job she loved and remained at until she had her first child. She often spoke about how she enjoyed her daily commute on the Staten Island Ferry.
Frances married, Joseph F. Gardner in 1952 and they went on to have six children together. In 1959 they left New York with their four sons and moved to Ridgefield, Connecticut where they
added two daughters to the family. They were married for 67 years until Joseph passed away in 2019.
Fran was a devoted wife and mother and dedicated her life to raising her family. She and Joe were devout Catholics and were active in supporting their church and community. For many years, she was a member of the Columbiettes in Ridgefield, an auxiliary affiliate to the Knights of Columbus. She belonged to a women’s bowling league as well. Fran’s greatest passion was cooking, especially Italian dishes passed on to her from her mother.
Fran worked as a cook at Ridgefield High School for twenty-three years. She loved getting to know the students and watching them flourish. When she finally retired in 1995, she and Joe sold their Ridgefield home and settled into a beautiful lake home in Grantham, New Hampshire. They bought an RV and traveled the country for many years, visiting friends and family along the way. They enjoyed hosting friends and family at their NH home and had many wonderful years during their long retirement.
Frances is survived by her family; son Brian Gardner and his wife Christina of Palm Court, FL; son Kenan Gardner of Amherst, NH; son Timothy Gardner and his wife Deborah Gardner of Daytona Beach, FL; daughter Judy Gardner of Bristol, CT; daughter Jacqueline Kempf and her husband Jim Kempf of Wolfeboro, NH. She is also survived by six grandchildren: Nicole Yustin, Kristen Tevay, David Gardner, Kimberly LaValle, Alexander Kempf and Jonathan Kempf and three great-grandchildren Skylar Tevay, Gavin Tevay and Harper LaValle.
Fran is pre-deceased by her husband Joseph, her son, John and all her siblings, William Ferragamo, Jenny Riley, Anthony Ferragamo, Linda Genuario, and Mary Tramutola.
A mass will be scheduled for May at St. Patrick’s church in Newport, New Hampshire with burial following.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Alzheimer’s Association.

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