Melodie Rappé Francis

Melodie Rappé was born on September 30, 1942 to Logan and Mary (Livingston) Rappé in Fort Sill, Oklahoma. As the oldest child of a career Army officer, Melodie spent her childhood moving from base to base, and so spent time in Kansas, post-War Germany, Alaska, and ended up in San Diego where she graduated from Coronado High School in 1960.

Melodie then attended the University of Colorado, Boulder, where she earned her degree in Education, and met her future husband, Harley James ""Jim"" Francis. Melodie and Jim married in December 1971. They had three boys that they raised in Arvada, Colorado, and were active members of Arvada Presbyterian Church. Melodie was a 50-year member of P.E.O., Chapter CW.

Melodie delighted in children all her life. Whether it was teaching them at Hackberry Hill or Stober Elementary Schools, or in Sunday school classes, Melodie found joy whenever a child discovered something new. In recent years, she reveled in the birth and growth of her four grandchildren, whose mere presence delighted her to no end.

In her lifetime, Melodie had travelled to Egypt in her pursuit of knowledge and her desire to learn about other cultures. She enjoyed singing, dancing, and was the kind of person who lit up a room the moment she made her entrance, and it was usually a grand one indeed.

Melodie passed from this life on April 22, 2020, surrounded by her family.

Melodie is survived by her husband, Jim; her brother, Mark Rappé and his wife, Pat; her sons, Jared and his wife, Laurie, Greg and his wife, Lisa, and Mike and his wife, Jessie; and her four grandchildren, Addison, Avery, Zoey, and Luke Francis.

A memorial service will be scheduled later in the year. In lieu of flowers, the family would ask for donations to be sent to the American Cancer Society in Melodie's name.