Frances Lee (Pedusey) Johansen

HOLDEN - Frances Lee Johansen, 84, of Holden passed away peacefully on Sunday, December 23, 2018, under the loving care of her family and the dedicated and compassionate staff at Tatnuck Park Assisted Living. Fran was born in Worcester on January 7, 1934 to Lee and Karin (Bottcher) Pedusey.

Fran graduated from the University of Vermont where she majored in the Spanish and French languages. Following graduation, she and her sister, Carolee, joined a student tour to Europe after which Frances spent a year in Madrid. While there, she realized she had a zest for travel and began a career teaching overseas in American International schools. Thus, for twelve years she taught in elementary schools in Venezuela, Thailand, Singapore, Libya, France, Japan, and Turkey, an epic time in her life. In 1964, during a break from her overseas teaching, she earned a Master’s degree from Assumption College in Worcester.

In 1971, she was called back from Singapore to Worcester when her beloved younger sister, Carolee was diagnosed with Lou Gehrig disease, which she battled for nine years before passing away at the age of 44.

After working as a travel agent in Worcester, Frances became a social worker, placing foster children in homes with the Massachusetts Department of Social Services, retiring in 1992. Upon retiring from her social work, Fran took a position with the Holden Senior Center as an outreach social worker until 1999, when she retired permanently.

During her youth, Fran spent many happy years at her parent’s country farmhouse in Tunbridge, Vermont, a home which they owned from 1946 until 1971. After she and Bill Johansen married in 1982, they emulated her parents’ love for Vermont and also bought a summer home in Tunbridge. In the ensuing years, she and her husband spent much time in Tunbridge, and became familiar with the little town of Bethel where her father grew up in Bethel’s Little Italy.

During their retirement years, Fran and Bill spent their summers in Tunbridge and winters in Holden. With Fran’s help, Bill wrote a book about the many Italian immigrant granite workers and their families who flooded into the little town of Bethel, Vermont in the early 1900s. Among these immigrants were Fran’s grandparents, Lorenzo and Irene Peduzzi. Also, Fran and Bill traveled to Spain, Portugal, Morocco, Bermuda, Canada, Italy, Sweden and Norway. Frances also traveled to China, Croatia, Serbia and Bosnia in her later life.

Although Frances never had children of her own, her three nephews, Jay, Steve and David Virgilio and their families, were very special to her as well as her stepson, Eric Johansen and his wife, Lois and their sons, Clayton and Bennett. Over the years, Frances also spent many happy and loving times with her first cousins, Marilee Bottcher Rauh, David Bottcher and his wife, Linda, all of Holden, and Henry Bottcher of Rutland.

Her beloved husband of 34 years, William "Bill" Johansen, died in 2016. Besides her husband and parents, she was predeceased by her sister, Carolee A. Virgilio. She was loved deeply by them and will be greatly missed.

Calling hours will be held from 1:30 to 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, December 30, at the Miles Funeral Home, 1158 Main St., Holden followed by a funeral service honoring her life at 3:00 p.m. Burial will be private at a later date in All Faiths Cemetery in Worcester. Memorial contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society, 7 Oak Street, Worcester, MA 01609; or the Worcester Animal Rescue League, 139 Holden Street, Worcester, MA 01606.