Frances Ann Childers Dean, 92, recently of Frederick, Maryland and originally from Texas, loving wife, mother, sister, aunt, cousin and friend, educator, voracious reader, and basketball enthusiast, passed away on October 30, 2022. 

Frances earned her Masters of Library Science degree from Texas Woman’s University.  Upon graduating, she immediately became a Dallas, Texas elementary school librarian, insisting that all of her students always have a library book on their person. 

In Maryland, Frances became a librarian for her beloved Poolesville High School.   As a senior class sponsor and cheerleader sponsor, she went to every basketball game, home and away and therefore began her lifelong obsession with the game. It also began her fierce bond with her students and their families, encouraging everyone to succeed and attain all possibilities in their lives.

As Frances rose in her career at Montgomery County Public Schools from Librarian to Media Specialist and eventually Associate Superintendent, she accumulated other titles, Chairperson of the ALA Intellectual Freedom Committee and AASL President 1977-1978. She was an extreme advocate for equal rights in every aspect and encouraged all of her students and her co-workers that anything was possible.

Other than professional attributes, she was described as one of a kind, an intelligent, funny, cynic with a big heart of gold. A beautiful, fun, tell it like it is delightful woman, definitely a woman’s woman.  It is a rare treasure to find someone who listens without judging, who comforts and consoles without condemning and who freely and honestly loves with no strings attached. 

Wife of the late Marion Dee VonRoeder and mother of Deborah J. Dean (Michael DeSando) and lovingly known as Gran to her cherished grandsons, Nicholas DeSando (Christiane) and John DeSando and dear Jessica Douglas and her great grandchildren, Michael, Thomas, and Isabella DeSando, she will leave a void in all of our lives. 

A celebration of her life and interment are being planned for a later date in Abilene,Texas. 

It wouldn’t be appropriate to say goodbye to my mom without mentioning the friends and family who so influenced our lives. The memory of Frances (Tutu) Barnes, my second mother, and all of her beautiful daughters, Lizbeth Ann Jones and her wonderful family, mom’s second daughter, she loved her more, Regina Crutchfield, her champion and dear friend in every aspect of her career and our lives, Reverend, Dr. Ruby Moone , her very distinguished and lifelong friend, co-workers who brought her joy, Patricia Otten and Cindy Sullivan, “So Much” aka Linda and beautiful Audrey and our dear cousins, Bonnie Beck, her sister, Toddy “Baby” King, Lisa Gonzales, who made her laugh more than anyone and husband Norm, dear Marilyn Burgess and husband Ed who loved Pank, niece Marilyn Childers Low and finally Tim Ibbotson, my brother, her son and Mark Beasley, guardian angel, dear friend, loving caregiver and who’s love and patience had no bounds. And of course, dear Buster, who she loved more than anyone or anything. 

I remember in one of my mom’s acceptance speeches, she said, “I will give it my best shot.” And that she did.

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