Roland Arthur Francis passed away on December 21, 2019 in Grass Valley, California. He was 94. He was predeceased on 10/26/11 by Bea, his wife of 64 years, and is survived by daughter Kathleen Ann Wasley (George) of Grass Valley and son Daniel Mark Francis of San Diego, six grandchildren, Jason, Taryn, Kristin, Nichol, Kelly and Daniel Jr. and fourteen great-grandchildren.
Roland was born May 3, 1925 in St. Paul, Minnesota. He was an Eagle Scout and active in the Pine Bend Scout Club. Upon completion of St. Paul Central High in December of 1942, he entered the U.S. Marine Corps and spent the remainder of WWII with the 2d Bn, 2d Mar, 2 Mar Div in the Pacific participating in the battles at Tarawa, Saipan and Okinawa. Following WWII he attended Macalester College, St. Paul, Mn and graduated August, 1948 from the University of Minnesota. On December 20, 1947 he and Beulah Irene Strandin (Bea) were married in Minneapolis and in 1949 they relocated to San Diego residing in the East County for 60 years. He worked in accounting, finance and sales throughout his career and from 1978 until retiring in 1995 owned and managed Roland Francis & Co. Inc., a discount securities brokerage firm in La Mesa, Ca. He was a charter member and 6th President of the San Diego Harbor Lions Club and a 50 year member of the El Cajon Elks Lodge. In 2009 a relocation was made to Grass Valley, Ca.
A private graveside service was held at Elster Memorial Cemetery in rural Grass Valley on December 27, 2019. Roly and Bea are together again.
