Frances "Fran" King

life story

Frances "Fran" King

July 31, 1941 - July 30, 2026

Some people leave behind accomplishments. Others leave behind traditions. Fran King left behind memories that will be told for generations.

If you've ever eaten a warm donut muffin while still in your pajamas, received a birthday card that somehow arrived exactly on time every year, been handed a cold drink the minute you walked through her door, or laughed until you cried over one of her stories, then you know exactly who she was.

Frances "Fran" King passed away peacefully on July 30, 2026, just one day before her 80th birthday. Her daughter Susie was holding her as she took her final breaths, surrounded by the same love Fran had spent a lifetime giving to everyone around her.

Born Frances Prescott on July 31, 1946, in Atlantic, Iowa, she was the second of eight children born to Edward and Ruth Prescott. Growing up in her family's grocery store taught her lessons that stayed with her forever: work hard, take care of people, and always make sure everyone feels welcome.

After moving to Oshkosh, Wisconsin, she graduated from Oshkosh High School, where she was crowned Miss Congeniality in the Miss Oshkosh Pageant, a title that fit her perfectly and remained true for the rest of her life.

Fran married young and became the proud mother of twins, Joe and Susie, at just 23 years old. When life took a different path, she raised them on her own for many years with remarkable strength, determination, and love. She made sure there was never a shortage of fun. Summer meant late-night Dairy Queen runs in pajamas. Fall meant s'mores around the charcoal grill, also in pajamas. Fourth of July celebrations meant fireworks on the Milwaukee lakefront (possibly in pajamas). Looking back, those simple moments became the memories that mattered most.

When Joe and Susie were eight years old, Fran married Jack Birchhill. Together they shared a love of travel, great food, live music, and saying yes to adventures. Jack's life was cut far too short by lung cancer, but together they built a wonderful chapter filled with love while helping Joe and Susie grow into adulthood.

Later, after selling the family's longtime home in Fox Point, Wisconsin, Fran moved to a hip and cool (her words, not ours) condo on Milwaukee's East Side. It was there that she met Tom King through work. They married and built not only a life together, but also a successful human resources and benefits consulting business serving DTR Industries, a Japanese company with operations in the United States. Fran loved connecting people from different cultures, helping bridge communication between the American and Japanese teams. She and Tom traveled to Japan, embracing its culture, traditions, and incredible food. Tom was admittedly the pickier eater, often sliding the more adventurous dishes onto Fran's plate, something she happily accepted.

Together they made their home in Scottsdale, Arizona, at Desert Mountain, where family visits became legendary. Their home was always open, the pool was always ready, and snacks and cold beverages somehow appeared no matter what time anyone arrived.

Being "Grandma" quickly became one of Fran's favorite jobs.

She was happiest with a baby in her arms, grandchildren splashing in the pool, or planning another adventure to the zoo, horseback riding, or paint your own pottery. She introduced all of the grandchildren to her famous donut muffins, patiently letting little hands help measure, stir, scoop, and bake every batch before everyone enjoyed them together each morning of their visits. She and Tommy even took it upon themselves to give the occasional haircut without asking the parents first.

Throughout her life, Fran never forgot a birthday, anniversary, or milestone. She believed handwritten cards mattered. She believed phone calls mattered. She believed people mattered. Even after Alzheimer's began affecting her memory, she continued calling family and friends. She carefully wrote notes before every conversation so she wouldn't forget what she wanted to ask, then filled pages with notes about everyone's lives because staying connected remained so important to her.

After Tom's health declined, they moved back to Milwaukee during the pandemic to be closer to family. The isolation of those years seemed to accelerate Fran's Alzheimer's. Following Tom's passing in 2022, Joe and Sue brought their mom to the Twin Cities so she could remain close to her twins.

There, Fran embraced life exactly as she always had.

She loved bingo, crafts, exercise classes, Saturday afternoon movies, and especially Thursday Happy Hour with wine and snacks at Broadwell Senior Living. On one memorable fishing trip organized by her community, she caught more fish than anyone else, although she insisted Joe put the worm on every hook.

Susie, Joe, and Fran treasured four more years together, sharing family dinners, happy hours, sporting events (especially watching the Packers), and countless lunches, dinners, and happy hours at Bacio, where Fran insisted she had dozens of "friends" among the staff who always welcomed her with a smile, a hug, and a glass of Chardonnay or Summit Extra Pale Ale.

When Alzheimer's required her move into memory care, Fran remained wonderfully... Fran.

She quickly appointed herself the unofficial manager of the place, confidently assigning staff members new responsibilities and making sure everyone stayed busy. She kept them laughing and definitely kept them on their toes.

In the end, Alzheimer's took away many of Fran's memories, but it never took away who she was. She remained kind, welcoming, funny, and determined to take care of everyone around her. Even as the disease changed so much, her warmth and generous spirit never left.

As her illness progressed, family was blessed with precious time to gather around her. Brothers, sisters, nieces, nephews, children, grandchildren, and friends were able to visit, share stories, hold her hand, and remind her, whether she remembered every detail or not, how deeply she was loved.

On Thursday, July 30, with Sue by her side, gently wiping her eyes with a warm cloth, Fran took a few peaceful breaths and quietly slipped away. She left this world exactly as she had lived in it, surrounded by love.

Fran was preceded in death by her parents, Edward and Ruth Prescott; her sister, Patti; her husbands, Jack Birchhill and Tom King; her brother-in-law, Howard; her nephew, Peter; and her great-granddaughter, Charlotte.

She is survived by her children, Joe Birchhill (Amy) and Sue Birchhill (Laura); and her grandchildren, Alex Birchhill, Hayden Birchhill, Frances “Frankie” Birchhill, and Jensen Smith-Morrison.

She is also survived by her stepchildren, Todd King; Kurt King (Jennifer); and Lisa Hudson (Nate); grandchildren Kristina Armendaris, Cortney Kahn (Cam), Kayla King, Kendall Burgun (Al), Ashley Herring (Sammy), Amber King, MacKenzie Iida (Corey), Bradi Negus (Donnie), Jenna Wolf (Tony), Ryan Hudson (Kristin), and Kyle Hudson (Exalena Gause); and great grandchildren Decker, Brody, Brooks, Ellody, Trace, Sophia, Tommy, Nora, and Wesley.

She is lovingly remembered by her siblings George Prescott (Judi), John Prescott (Jan), Ralph Prescott (Bernie), Kasey Pendl (Gary), Theresa Delphonse (Marc), and EJ Prescott (Varyl).

She also leaves behind a large extended family whom she loved dearly, including nieces and nephews Randy, Renee, Mike, Cheri, Matt, Patrick, Craig, Heidi, Jennifer, Eddie, Abby, Ashley, Matt, Arlia, Kristin, and Katie, along with many cherished great-nieces, great-nephews, cousins, and dear friends whose lives were brighter because of her.

Her siblings remember Fran as the strong, determined sister who somehow became everyone's example of resilience. They were incredibly proud when she was named Miss Congeniality in the Miss Oshkosh Pageant, an honor that perfectly reflected the way she treated people throughout her life.

They also remember the fun.

There was the time she and her sister Pat decided to take the family car for a drive shortly after their parents specifically said, "No one is to drive the car," only to find themselves face to face with Mom and Dad at a stop sign. There was her lifelong dislike of the saddle shoes her mother insisted she wear, shoes she promptly stuffed into her book bag the minute she arrived at school. She and her sisters shared a bedroom where bedtime often turned into a singing contest, although Fran usually decided it wasn't anyone else's turn to sing for very long. And if you ever offered her corn or raspberries, don't be surprised when she politely passed.

She worked hard. She loved deeply. She welcomed everyone. She laughed often. She rarely missed a reason to celebrate, and she made ordinary days feel special simply by being there.

If you'd like to honor Fran's memory, don't wait for a special occasion. Sendthe card. Make the phone call. Invite people over. Bake the donut muffins. Have the glass of Chardonnay. Eat dessert first. Say yes to a new adventure and visits with family and friends.

Take care of each other. Keep in touch. Never show up empty-handed, and always make sure there are enough snacks for everyone.

And if the kids happen to still be in their pajamas... even better.

She would have loved that.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating in Fran's memory through her Alzheimer's Association Tribute Page: https://events.alz.org/s/12133/11922.

We hope that one day other families will spend less time saying goodbye and more time making memories like the ones Fran gave us.

A celebration of Fran's beautiful life will be held in the coming months. Details will be shared as plans are finalized. We know she would want it to be filled with laughter, stories, and the people she loved most.

memorial service

Funeral/Cremation Provider: Crescent Tide Cremation Services