Leslie (Les) Franco of Napa, CA, has passed away, leaving behind a family and community who loved him dearly.
What follows is written with love, by those who knew him best.
Leslie spent his working life as ['Math and PE teacher'] — and was, by all accounts, loved by those who knew him best.
There are losses that teach us the weight of a life.
Les Franco died peacefully at home on Tuesday, April 14th after a brief illness. He was born in Napa on February 6th, 1944, to John and Eleanor Franco and was the third of five boys. He attended St. John the Baptist Catholic School, Ridgeview and Napa High School. In high school, Les excelled in sports, particularly football and baseball and he was student body president. After graduating high school in 1962 he moved to San Francisco where he attended University of San Francisco majoring in History and Math. While at USF, he played football and baseball. While attending USF, he met the love of his life, Marsha Rae Anderson at a dance in Napa in 1963. After dating for over 2 years, they married in August of 1966 and started their family in 1967. His family was his pride and joy. After graduating from USF with a degree, he taught briefly in Rodeo, before becoming a teacher and coach in Napa. He had a long and celebrated career as a Math and PE teacher, as well as coaching football and softball at both Napa and Vintage High School. Les had a profound impact on high school football in Napa and he was very proud of the legacy he left behind. After retiring from teaching and coaching, Les and Marsha made tons of memories travelling both near and far, with some of their favorites being Lake Tahoe, Italy, Spain, France, Germany and Hawaii. They loved visiting and vacationing with their children and grandchildren and did so often. In addition to travelling, he loved his Bocce league, his weekly lunch with friends, his garden, bonsai, keeping up with his Napa community and spending time with his wife and family. Les loved life and lived it with great purpose. He is survived by his wife of almost 60 years Marsha, his children and their families; Marcus (Sean), Mindy (Jaden, Jordan, Kaia, Ashly, Lexi), Matt (Zach, Lucas), his brothers Vic (Barbara), and Bob (Angela), many dearly loved nieces and nephews. He also had a group of long-term friends that he truly loved like family. Les was predeceased by his parents John and Eleanor, and his brothers Ross and Jim. A Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, May 16th at 1:00pm at the Elk's Lodge in Napa. For those that are interested, a mass will be held at St. Apollinaris Church at 11am. In lieu of flowers, we ask that donations be made to the Napa and/or Vintage High School Athletic Booster Club. Leslie (Les) John Franco
