- Date Of Birth: October 28, 1929
- Date Of Death: April 1, 2016
- State: Illinois
Francis J. Fran Newell, Sr., 86, of Ottawa, died April 1, 2016 at the LaSalle County Nursing Home.
Fran was born on October 28, 1929, in Utica to John B. and Nancy (White) Newell. He married the former Ann Mussatto on February 28, 1969 in the Harding United Methodist Church. Francis was a proud member of the Ottawa Fire Department, having joined on July 31, 1964. He was promoted to Lieutenant on December 8, 1971and promoted to Captain on January 1, 1981. He retired as Captain on January 2, 1995. He and his wife Ann owned and operated Ottawa Ambulance Service for almost 15 years.
Fran served in the US Army at Fort Eustis, Virginia from 1951 to 1953, and was also a mechanic for Jensen Rutledge, and Cassidy Service Station on Columbus St., Ottawa
He is survived by his wife, Ann, and their two sons, Francis James Jamie Newell, Jr., of Ottawa and Jason Paul (Amy) Newell, of Winnebago, and their children Alana and Jackson Newell.
He is also survived by his first wife, the former Janet Johnson, of Ottawa and their children, Pamela (Douglas) Miller, of Peoria and their children; Brett (Elizabeth) Miller, of Washington, IL and Laura (Alex) Mansoori, of Florida. Steven (Marie) Newell, of Utica and their children; Leonard, of Ottawa, James and Alexis, of Utica and Kimberly (Robert) Kolesar, of Ottawa and their children; Dustin Farrell, of Morris, Courtney Thompson, of Ottawa, Andrew Skul, of Colorado, Katlynn Kolesar, of Ottawa, and grandchildren Angela (Ottis) Smiley, of Peoria and Jessica Becker, of Jacksonville, FL. He is also survived by eight great grandchildren, two sisters, Sharon Guajardo, of Plano and Bonnie (Dennis) Foutch, of Peru.
He was preceded in death by a daughter, Cynthia Becker, daughter-in-law, Valerie Newell, two sisters, Marcella Boharic and Beverly Whitecotton, and four brothers, John, Ralph, Ronald, and Robert.
Pallbearers will be Jamie Jason and Steve Newell, Doug Miller, Bob Kolesar, and Dennis Foutch.
