Obituary of Evelynn Richards-DuBois

Evelynn (Richards) DuBois

- - Evelynn Richards DuBois was born in Cortland, NY on November 26, 1920, to Jean (Downie) Davis and Lynn Davis. Evie died at Bridges, Cornell Heights, on May 9, 2019. She worked for almost 30 years as a secretary at Cornell University. She served in the Mechanical Engineering School's Machine Design Department and later in the Industrial and Labor Relations School where she was the secretary to Frances Perkins (Secretary of Labor under FDR). She married Melzar T. Richards in 1944 who, after graduating from Hamilton College, was studying the Japanese Order of Battle as part of an Army Intelligence Corps training program at Cornell during World War II. They divorced and many years later she married George B. DuBois who was a professor in the Machine Design Department of the Mechanical Engineering School. They were married for 20 years until his death in 1988.

Evie has one son, Melzar ("Mel") Richards, who was her favorite dentist. He and his wife, Jane, have 3 children: Matthew (Anne) Richards, Sarah Richards (Rich) Fremont and Caroline Richards (Ross) McGowan. Evie's great-grandchildren Leah, Hilary, and Asher Fremont, Davis and Jude Richards, and Heidi and Willa McGowan survive her.

Harold ("Hap") Vernon Francis was born in Pittsburgh, PA on December 17, 1921. Hap died at the Hospicare Residence in Ithaca on January 30, 2017. Hap worked for 42 years at the Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad. He spent most of his years working and raising his family in Youngstown, Ohio.

Hap is survived by a son, Dick Francis (who is known professionally as Dick Franco - a world-renowned juggler!) and his daughter Noelle Franco; son and daughter-in-law, Dave Francis and Anne Marie Kempf; daughter Lucy Utt, grandchildren Kelly (Sam) Utt-Grubb and Dan Utt. Hap's great-grandchildren Andrew and Christopher Utt-Grubb and Justin Turner also survive him.

Hap and Evie danced their way into each other's lives and spent 29 years together wintering in Venice, Florida and spending summers in Ithaca. In addition to dancing, spending time on the water, golfing, traveling and singing all the words to "the good old" songs, much of that time was spent "eating out." They often ate lunch at Wegman's or Linda's Corner Diner, ordered Georgia peach chicken at the Boatyard Grill or had a bowl of chili at the Glenwood Pines.

Many, many thanks to the amazing people at Bridges, Cornell Heights for the thoughtful care they have given these two. Have a glass of wine, sing a song, dance your heart out, tell a joke, enjoy a sunset, take a boat ride, or show some kindness in memory of Evie and Hap.

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