Byron John Francis, 79, of Trinity, Florida, passed away on June 2, 2010 after a long illness.

Dr. Francis was the son of Byron F. and Valborg Christensen Frances. He was born in Chicago in 1931 and grew up on Puget Sound in Seattle, Washington. He attended West Seattle High School and the University of Chicago, where he obtained his BA and MD from the University of Chicago, School of Medicine.

He married the former Norma Marie Waelti in 1953 and served in the Medical Corps of the US Army as Captain and Preventive Medicine Officer for three years in Okinawa, Japan, before returning to obtain his Master's in Public Health from the University of Minnesota. He was the former Head of Epidemiology for the Washington State Department of Public Health, and former Chief of Disease Control, Acting Director, Associate Director and State Epidemiologist of the Illinois Department of Public Health.

Dr. Francis' awards include the Illinois Public Health Worker Award, the IPHA Honorary Emeritus Award, and the Illinois Governor's Proclamation of the day of May 18, 1999 in his name.

He is survived by his loving wife, Norma; children, Ann Francis of Sarasota, Florida, Byron (Jaime) Francis of Springfield, Illinois, John (Teresa) Francis of Palm Harbor, Florida, and Margaret (Greg) Ring of Chicago, Illinois; five grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. Siblings are Carl Francis of Fairbanks, Alaska, Steven Francis of Maui, Hawaii, and Christine McClure of Seattle, Washington.

A memorial service will be held on Monday, June 7th, at Trinity Memorial Gardens in Trinity, Florida, with interment at the Florida State Veterans Cemetery at Bushnell, Florida.

Memorials may be sent to the Alzheimer's Association, Florida Gulf Coast Chapter, 14010 Roosevelt Blvd. #709, Clearwater, Florida 33762.