Larry Lee Francis, age 90, of Provo, Utah, passed away on June 26, 2026 surrounded by loving family.
The fourth of six children, Larry was born April 4, 1936 on a farm in Lake Shore, Utah, to Elizabeth Maud Howard and Ronald Grant Francis. He attended Spanish Fork High School and Brigham Young University. He married his high school sweetheart, Sara Ann Banks (Ann) in 1955. A few years later they packed their two young sons and all their belongings into their 1950 Mercury and trailer, and traveled to Cleveland, Ohio, to attend the Case Western Reserve School of Dental Medicine.
After completing dental school, Larry and Ann returned to Utah and began a dental practice in Provo. They continued to add to their family, and raised their six sons, one daughter, and one foster daughter in the Grandview neighborhood in Provo. Because of his rural farm upbringing and his generous nature, he became an impactful and valued leader in his local Boy Scouts of America unit. He was awarded the Silver Beaver award due to his service and dedication in that organization.
Larry was a dedicated member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, serving in many leadership positions. With his wife, Ann, he served two full-time missions: one in the Kenya Nairobi mission as a dental advisor, and the second as a proselyting missionary in the Melbourne Australia mission. He also served as a temple ordinance worker for 15 years. After Ann’s death in 2017, he married Suzanne Merrill and they enjoyed four years together until the time of his death.
Larry loved the outdoors. He spent countless hours hiking, camping, and hunting in the mountains with family and friends. At the family ranch in Birdseye, he was often found working alongside the people he loved, fixing the broken backhoe, cutting the grass, repairing fences and pipes, or irrigating. He taught his children and grandchildren how to work as they assisted him. When he wasn’t tinkering in the garage or building a part to fix something, he was blessing others’ lives through selfless acts of service in the community.
Larry is survived by his wife, Suzanne Merrill, his two sisters: JoAnn Phillips, Dixie Page (Tom); his brother, Ronald G. Francis (Sally); his sister-in-law Deann Francis; and his children Larry Lee Francis, Jr. (Lisa Ferrier), William R. Francis (Vickie Lindsay), Jed B. Francis (Kathleen Feldman), Jode Fitzgerald (Kenneth M.), Sam H. Francis, Guy V. Francis (Lorien Young), Ben W. Francis (Kristin Holdaway), and Wendy Lilly Muzzie (Albert). He is also survived by thirty-seven grandchildren and sixty great grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents, Ronald Grant Francis and Elizabeth Maud Howard, his wife Sara Ann Banks Francis, his two brothers, Howard R. Francis and Vaughn E. Francis (Verna), and brother-in-law, Ross Phillips.
A funeral will be held on Thursday, July 9, 2026 at 11:00 am at the Grandview South Stake Center at 1122 Grand Avenue, Provo, Utah. A viewing will be held the evening before, July 8, from 6:00 pm until 8:00 pm in the same location, and prior to the funeral service from 9:45 am until 10:45 am.
Interment will take place in the Spanish Fork City Cemetery following the funeral service.
Visitation
Wednesday, July 8, 2026
6-8:00 p.m. Grandview South Stake Center
1122 Grand Ave, Provo, Utah 84604
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Visitation
Thursday, July 9, 2026
9:45-10:45 a.m. Grandview South Stake Center
1122 Grand Ave, Provo, Utah 84604
MAP
Funeral Service
Thursday, July 9, 2026
11:00 a.m. Grandview South Stake Center
1122 Grand Ave, Provo, Utah 84604
MAP
Interment
Spanish Fork City Cemetery
420 South 400 East
Spanish Fork, Utah 84660
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9 Condolences for Larry Lee Francis
Condolences(9)
Michael Robinson says
June 29, 2026 at 10:40 pmOur deepest condolences to you and your family!
Larry has been a kind and caring person in our lives – we have loved caring for him over the years.
Lana Atwood Hone says
June 30, 2026 at 5:22 amDr Francis was such a great guy. I believe most everyone from Lake Shore made the trip to Provo to go to him for their dental work. In my early twenties, while under a bit of happy gas, I asked him if he could pierce my ears with his drill. He had his assistant center a sharpie mark in my ear lobes and pierced them perfectly, no pain whatsoever, creating loop earrings out of dental wire. He kept asking ” You sure about this?” We all had a great laugh. I’ve told that story about my favorite dentist for years. Dr Francis was kind, funny, and down to earth. He will be missed.
Leonard Lee says
July 7, 2026 at 3:40 amI enjoyed working with him in the Orem temple. He had some great stories of ranch and farm life.
Leonard Lee says
July 7, 2026 at 3:42 amI enjoyed working with him in the Orem temple. He had some great stories of ranch and farm life. My condolences
Talli Vittetoe says
July 9, 2026 at 7:00 pmI met Larry Francis via his granddaughter Sammie. Sammie and I were companions during our LDS mission and I often heard stories about Larry and Ann. During my college summers, I had the opportunity to meet the legend I’d heard so much about, often joining Sammie at the cabin to help with water turn. Here are a few of my favorite memories:
Larry wasn’t very good with names. He never called me by my actual name, but I was consistently called Greta. The name never mattered nearly as much as knowing he recognized and remembered me.
The first time I was given a job that required the fourwheeler, I made sure Larry knew it had been several years since I’d driven one. After witnessing a few of Larry’s own near-misses, I figured he might have some pointers. He didn’t. When I prodded, “Well… what if I roll it or break something?”, he grinned wide and replied, “Then we’ll fix it.” On the way back from cleaning screens, I stopped at the bend in the trail, waiting for an opening in the sprinklers so I wouldn’t get wet. Larry, found that far too reasonable. Just as I accelerated, it brought him great joy to clamber over and adjust the sprinkler head so it sprayed me anyway. That confidence in a near stranger, that commitment to teaching others and letting them learn for themselves, that eagerness to fix what is broken, and that perfect sense of humor, to me, are the essence of Larry Francis.
One night, the three of us were making dinner. Larry put Sammie in charge of mixing the lemonade. Larry took one sip, looked at me with his chicken-shit grin and said, “Sammie makes it weak.” This, of course, came from the same man who had just mixed water into expired ketchup to make it last a little longer.
One afternoon I walked into the shop and found Larry and Sammie on their backs beneath a fourwheeler that was dangling precariously from the ceiling by a single, very questionable chain. Larry was asking Sammie to hand him dental tools that he was using to cut gasket material. Somehow, the scene seemed perfectly normal.
I will always cherish the time I spent at the cabin with Larry and Sammie. Even though I was a visitor, I always felt like family. Those were some of my favorite memories from my college years and I feel grateful to have been able to get to know Larry and learn from him. Of all the names I’ve been called throughout my life, it was a great honor to be Greta.
My heartfelt condolences the Francis family, and all who had the privilege of knowing Larry.
Russ Smith says
July 9, 2026 at 11:56 pmJust wanted to let you know how sorry I was to hear of your dad‘s passing today. I just happened to be at Bill Ewell‘s home visiting him when he told me that your dad had passed and he thought the funeral was today. I got looking and found the obituary and also the streaming of the funeral. We didn’t get on until 1115, but I think we made most of it. Bill and I sat at his kitchen table and watched the funeral and it was really nice.. You guys did a great job in honoring your dad and sharing your testimonies and his testimony of the gospel Jesus Christ. I’m so sorry for your loss. My dad‘s been gone 17 years and it seems like forever. My mom passed away three years ago. I’ll remember y’all in my prayers that you might find the peace that you need. just wanted to let you know I’m thinking about y’all.. Your dad is a wonderful man and a great example of a disciple of Jesus Christ. He taught me the example of hard work. In order to ride snowmobiles in the winter at the ranch we had to haul hay in the summer. He had a great work ethic and he taught me that. Take care.
Russ Smith says
July 9, 2026 at 11:59 pmJust wanted to let you know how sorry I was to hear of your dad‘s passing today. I just happened to be at Bill Ewell‘s home visiting him when he told me that your dad had passed and he thought the funeral was today. I got looking and found the obituary and also the streaming of the funeral. We didn’t get on until 11:15 in, but I think we made most of it. Bill and I sat at his kitchen table and watched the funeral and it was really nice.. You guys did a great job in honoring your dad and sharing your testimonies and his testimony of the gospel Jesus Christ. I’m so sorry for your loss. My dad‘s been gone 17 years and it seems like forever. My mom passed away three years ago. I’ll remember y’all in my prayers that you might find the peace that you need. just wanted to let you know I’m thinking about y’all.. Your dad is a wonderful man and a great example of a disciple of Jesus Christ. He taught me the example of hard work. In order to ride snowmobiles in the winter at the ranch we had to haul hay in the summer. He had a great work ethic and he taught me that. Take care.
Russ Smith says
July 10, 2026 at 12:07 amI’m so sorry for your loss. I didn’t hear your dad passed away until today. I just happen to be at Bill Ewell‘s house visiting him and in our conversation he asked me if I’ve heard of your dad‘s passing. I searched the mortuaries to see if I could find his obituary. I did find it and found the streaming of the funeral and Bill and I were able to watch it starting about 11:15 to the end . The funeral was beautiful and y’all did a great job. My dad‘s been gone for 17 years and it seems like an eternity. But with what we know will be together again. Y’all will be in my prayers that you may be blessed with the peace that you’re going to need in the coming days months and even years. Your dad was a great example to me growing up and I appreciate him very much. He taught me the value of hard work. We couldn’t ride the snowmobiles in the winter unless we hauled hay in the summer. He believed in hard work. He is a great example of our savior Jesus Christ and I’m grateful for for example to me.
Russ Smith says
July 10, 2026 at 6:07 pmI’m so sorry to hear about the passing of your dad. I was actually at Bill Ewell‘s house the day of the funeral and he thought the funeral was going on. I finally found his obituary and was able to stream the funeral service with Bill. It was a wonderful service. Y’all did a great job. I’ll remember y’all in my prayers for peace. It’s always hard to lose our parents. my dad‘s been gone for 17 years and it feels like longer than that.
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