Frances (Pope) Dumas passed from this life on April 22, 2023 in her home in Alton after a brief illness. She leaves her loving family: her daughter Denise and her husband David Eiche of Hollis NH, her daughter Diane Loudon of Alton, her son David and wife Susan of Sterling MA, her grandchildren Zachary, Sarah, Anita and Gregory, and her great grandchildren Cadence, Elliot, Eden and Maya. She was preceded into heaven by her beloved husband of 62 years, Chester J. Dumas Jr., her son-in-law Alan Loudon, and her brothers Leslie, Alvan and Herbert Pope.

Born in 1928, Frances was the daughter of John and Edith (Dahn) Pope of Shrewsbury. A 1946 graduate of Shrewsbury High School, she attended Mt. Ida College in Newton. She met Chet, a handsome Navy veteran, and married him in 1947 at Concordia Lutheran Church in Worcester.

Frances began her career as an executive secretary. But she found her true passion when she switched to early childhood education after the births of her three children. Graduating from Quinsigamond Community College, she spent many years teaching kindergarten at Shepherd Knapp Country Day School in Boylston and eventually opened a Family Day Care from her home in Shrewsbury.

Frances was a loving mother, generous friend, kindly aunt and faithful Christian. She lived most of her life in Shrewsbury until joining her daughter Diane and family in Alton at Cold Spring Farm last year. She was an active member of Concordia Lutheran Church, and later joined the Community Church of Alton. Her joy was to watch her great grandchildren and her bluebirds from her sunny deck.