Daughter, sister, wife, mother of three, teacher, journalist, writer, watercolor artist, friend to many. Born in Cincinnati, raised in Toledo, educated at DePauw and Toledo Universities. She married B. Morrow Duff in 1944--he died a hero in 1945, one month before his son, Benjamin M. Duff was born. She and Benjy moved to Denver, CO in 1948 to take advantage of the superior Cerebral Palsy program at Denver's Children's Hospital. In 1949 she met Russell Henry Toepfer and they married in June. In March 1950 the family moved to Washington Park neighborhood where they remained until 2009. Daughter Laura was born in 1950 and a second daughter, Abby, was born in 1953. From September 1950 on Fran was an active member of the Washington Park United Church of Christ. In 1964 Fran began teaching English and journalism at Lincoln High School until her retirement in 1986. After retirement she returned to watercolor painting and developed into quite an accomplished artist. She was a loving grandmother to 2 grandsons, Enrique and Joseph. Her son, Ben, cerebral palsied at birth and confined to a wheelchair all his life, was her hero always, for the grace and inspiration with which he lived his life. Her daughter Abby tragically died in 1995 from cancer. She and Russ moved to Englewood in 2009. Her beloved partner of 62 years, Russ, died in 2011. Fran passed peacefully in Dec. 2014. Hers was a life well-lived.
Daughter, sister, wife, mother of three, teacher, journalist, writer, watercolor artist, friend to many. Born in Cincinnati, raised in Toledo, educated at DePauw and Toledo Universities. She married B. Morrow Duff in 1944--he died a hero in 1945, one month before his son, Benjamin M. Duff was born. She and Benjy moved to Denver, CO in 1948 to take advantage of the superior Cerebral Palsy program at Denver's Children's Hospital. In 1949 she met Russell Henry Toepfer and they married in June. In March 1950 the family moved to Washington Park neighborhood where they remained until 2009. Daughter Laura was born in 1950 and a second daughter, Abby, was born in 1953. From September 1950 on Fran was an active member of the Washington Park United Church of Christ. In 1964 Fran began teaching English and journalism at Lincoln High School until her retirement in 1986. After retirement she returned to watercolor painting and developed into quite an accomplished artist. She was a loving grandmother to 2 grandsons, Enrique and Joseph. Her son, Ben, cerebral palsied at birth and confined to a wheelchair all his life, was her hero always, for the grace and inspiration with which he lived his life. Her daughter Abby tragically died in 1995 from cancer. She and Russ moved to Englewood in 2009. Her beloved partner of 62 years, Russ, died in 2011. Fran passed peacefully in Dec. 2014. Hers was a life well-lived.
