Jimmy Ralph "Jim" Francis

JIMMY RALPH "JIM" FRANCIS, 87, of Little Rock, entered eternal life on Friday, March 24, 2017. Jim was born in Amity, Ark., on Aug. 6, 1929 to Wilford Green and Gracie Lena (Rogers). Francis. He is survived by his wife of 64 years; one daughter, Cheryl Lane (Milton) of Little Rock; grandchildren, Tiffany Coyle (Ryan) of Harrisburg, Pa.; Kelley Lane and Kimberly Lane of Little Rock; great-grandchild, Hudson Francis Coyle; brother, Glen Francis (Jen) of Dallas, Texas; and a host of nieces and nephews. He made a career of helping others, retiring from the Arkansas State Highway Department after 37 years of service, where one of his many efforts was leading the initiative to plant crimson clover along Arkansas' highways, currently in full bloom. After retirement, he joined FEMA,where his greatest accomplishment was leading an inspection team in New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina. He was a man's man -- tall and strong, often clad in his worn leather bomber, with handfuls of peppermints tucked away in his pockets -- and yet, sincere and gentle, always prepared with the right thing to say, the softest shoulder to cry on and the best batch of warm and gooey chocolate chip cookies. He could fix almost anything: a hand-crafted home for his family, an antique, leather-lined Mercedes, a Chris-Craft houseboat resurrected from the bottom of the lake, a rich batch of red wine, a Tinker Toy-town constructed on the living room floor, and the bruised knees and broken hearts of his grandaughters, who affectionately referred to him as "G-Daddy." Every Sunday night, he went out to dinner with his family, where he loved blooming onions, and never let a good steak or scotch on the rocks go to waste. On summer weekends, he took his family to Lake Ouachita, where he water skied on long wooden skis, played a mean hand of Progressive Rummy and whipped up the creamiest batches of homemade ice cream. He collected cars and motorcycles (both of which he drove -- fast), and was the pilot and owner of multiple airplanes. He traveled with his family to many vacations in his beloved Beechcraft Queen Air, which he piloted alongside his son-in-law. He was well traveled, with no shortage of adventure stories, many of which starred his big brother, Glen, who shares his love for flying, and is infamously said to have flown him under the Broadway Bridge. He tended to bountiful gardens, and introduced the whole family to the peach orchard, where he regularly picked armfuls of perfectly ripened peaches that he generously shared. He had a knack for making handmade biscuits, frying little smokies on the griddle, finding the perfect time to deliver a homemade pound cake, and satisfying the cravings of his eternal sweet tooth. He was the husband to his loving bride, and the cornerstone of a progressive family of independent women, in whom he instilled his can-do attitude and strong-willed personality. He religiously attended the First Church of the Nazarene, and was a prime example of a good and faithful servant. He passed away of old age, having lived a good life, under the care of the good Lord, surrounded by family in the comfort of his home. He was preceded in death by his parents; brother, F. Vesto Francis; sister, Ruthie Von Collenberg and an infant baby brother. Heartfelt thanks go to Nurse David, Chaplain Deb, CNA Phyllis and the staff of Arkansas Hospice, as well as his caregiver, Ellen, who provided the best care and warm-heartedness his family could have asked for. A private funeral was held on Tuesday, March 28 with family, where we celebrated the life of a great man, and the best husband, father, G-Daddy, brother and uncle around, and honored an inspirational role model, whose legacy is remembered, cherished and loved. Please sign Jim's online guestbook at www.littlerockfuneralhome.com.