- Date Of Birth: December 18, 1931
- Date Of Death: May 31, 2014
- State: Indiana
Francis Lee Lafferty, 82, passed away on Saturday, May 31, 2014, following an extended illness.
Francis leaves behind a family who adored him, as well as countless individuals whose lives he touched through teaching, coaching, and mentoring.
After graduating from Muncie Central, Francis attended Ball State Teachers College, graduating with a teaching degree. He served his country for two years in the United States Army and then returned to Muncie in 1955, to begin a long career in teaching and coaching.
Francis began his teaching career at Garfield Elementary School.
He and his family left Muncie to spend two years in Wabash, where he taught and coached with one of his great mentors, Devere Fair. Francis returned to Muncie in 1964, taking over as Freshman Basketball Coach and Mathematics Teacher at Franklin Junior High School, where he worked under another great coach, Bob Heeter at Muncie Southside.
Francis became the first Varsity Boys’ Basketball Coach at Muncie Northside High School and taught and coached there during its first two years in existence, 1970 to 1972. He coached a group that was basically all sophomores the first year and all juniors the second year with solid results, and the Titans pulled off some upsets, such as defeating top-rated Anderson Madison Heights, featuring future Indiana University star Bobby Wilkerson.
After his first tenure at Northside, Francis returned to Franklin Junior High. He finished his career teaching and coaching at Muncie Northside Middle School, retiring from education in 1999.
Francis also spent several years as Principal at St. Lawrence School, under the Reverend Louis Heitz. He volunteered countless hours as the basketball coach for the St. Lawrence Rams, winning two Class B city championships with the smallest school in the tournament.
In 1957, he married Nancy Osborn at St.
Francis is survived by twelve grandchildren: Leigh Ann, Peter, and Jared Vorhees; Melissa Moody, Stephanie Allen, and Ethan Leach; Joshua and Darcy Crabtree; Adam Davis, Malorie Clark, and Ryan Smith; and Kristina Lafferty. Francis is also survived by eight great-grandchildren.
Francis’ sisters, Margaret Ann Haller and Mary Carolyn Bainter, survive him, along with his younger brother, Joseph Lafferty, and a sister-in-law, Sue Ann Holman. His parents, Leo and Ruth Lafferty, and Nancy’s parents, Gene and Jane Osborn, preceded him in death, along with brothers-in-law George Haller, Tom Bainter, and Terry Osborn; and sister-in-law Janelle Simmons.
During his teaching and coaching career, Francis was involved in numerous organizations and activities that benefitted our community. Francis was the first Chairman of the Board for the Delaware County Athletic Hall of Fame and served as Chair for over 20 years, taking Emeritus status in 2012. Francis was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1988, and in 2002, the Board awarded him their highest honor, the James Lightbody Award, for his lifetime achievements.
Francis and his good friend Odie Barnett decided the baseball field at McCulloch Park needed new life. It was in total disrepair. They put their own labor into restoring the field, and they founded a baseball league for adults, the Crouse Williamson Baseball League, which played games on the diamond for many years. Francis organized the league, found sponsors, scheduled umpires, kept score, and announced the games from the press box. In 1995, Mayor David Dominick named the field “Francis Lafferty Field” to recognize Francis’ efforts in restoring and maintaining the field.
Francis spent countless hours at “His Ball Park” (his family’s name for the field), mowing, raking, lining the field, and keeping the geese away, so the Muncie Burris Owls and the American Legion Post baseball team (coached by his close friend and local legend Bobby Graves) could play games there. He “retired” from work at the ballpark in 2012.
After retiring from teaching, Francis suffered a severe stroke in January, 2000, and he spent several months recovering. But he did recover and returned to his active life and community involvement. He was a volunteer boys’ basketball coach at Wes Del High School for many years, working closely with Scott Hudson for several of those years. He ended his volunteer coaching career by working one year with Coach Brian Carr at Muncie Burris. He loved all the years he spent as a volunteer coach and mentor to hundreds of young men.
Other memberships include the Delaware County Convention and Tourism Commission (Board President and original board member); St. Lawrence Parish Council (President and member); and the Muncie Redevelopment Commission. Francis received numerous awards over the years, including the St. Lawrence School Distinguished Alumni Award, the Muncie Central Alumni Association Distinguished Alumnus Award, and the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
