Francine Lucille Gianas

Francine Lucille (Francesca Lucia) Gianas (née D'Alesandro) passed peacefully from this world on Wednesday, May 28, 2025, in Woodstock, NY at the age of 90.

Francine was born in Chicago, IL, in 1935. She raised her family in that area before becoming an award-winning real estate broker in the 1980s. She was a devoted wife, mother, grandmother and friend. Forever embracing her Chicago roots, she was a Bears fan who never gave up hope, and was proud that the new Pope Leo hailed from her hometown, albeit she would have much preferred a Pope Leonora.

She was a voracious reader and student of the world, often engaging family and strangers alike in deep conversations that began with, "Let me ask you this..."

Francine had the most endearing ability to laugh at herself. She had a "World's Best Mom" coffee mug, and her children would often remind her to return it to whomever she borrowed it from. Italian cooking was her love language, and those prodigious skills in the kitchen fed strong bonds between her relatives, friends, and all those she chose as family. She was an impatient activist, and in ways big and small, spent a lifetime trying to help bend the moral arc of the universe toward justice.

Francine retired to Clearwater, FL with Jim Gianas, her beloved husband of 57 years. She eventually moved to New York to be closer to her children. Throughout the years living in rural New York, she ran Franny's Firewood stand. At the risk of sounding immodest, Francine never told anyone that she donated all profits to local organizations in need. Although she was happy to boast that in her 75 years of driving she never got a ticket. Not one!

Lastly, for those who knew her, it is great folly to believe that somehow words can beguile us from our grief and anguish, but we will try. Francine lost her Mom at the age of 10 and never got over that profound sense of loss. When Francine passed away she had been an amazing mom for over 60 years. You might say "world's best mom". And in the last moments of her life, while her son gently held her hand, Francine distinctly, and peacefully, whispered the word "Mommy". Let us all take comfort in beholding the beauty of her soaring back to her Mom.

Francine is survived by her daughters, Maria Gianas (Vickie Starr) and Dimitra, her son Tommy, grandchildren Athena, Francesca, Kali and Nic, as well as numerous cousins, nieces and nephews she loved dearly.