'Whatever you do will be right': Cherished stock agent forever loved

The late and dearly loved 88-year-old died peacefully on Thursday, June 6, at Wagga Base Hospital, leaving behind his wife of 62 years, and best friend Lorraine Francis.

The treasured father's legacy will continue to thrive in the hearts of his adoring children Susan Chambers, Tim Francis, Kathy Bowen and Mandy Mullavey.

His memory also lives on through his adored grandchildren Fred and Paddy Francis, Sally Chambers (deceased), Josh, Matty and Charlie Bowen, and Oscar, Will and Marley Mullavey, as well as great-grandchild Bambi Bowen.

Jeff lived and breathed his family's well-known Wagga-based business H. Francis and Co, connecting clients with the best cattle, sheep and rural properties on the market.

His son Tim said Jeff was signing cheques and doing the businesses banking right up until his very last days, a job he couldn't ever bring himself to part with.

"He loved the company," Tim said.

"The company started in 1962 and he was with Young Husbands prior to that, he came over and joined his two brothers Ian and Harry and his father Harry Senior to form H. Francis and Co.

"Dad signed the checques up until last Friday week, he just loved the company.

"He would come down and write on the account sales and do the banking, he wanted to know what was going on, how the markets were going, who was selling stock and who was buying stock."

Jeff spent his entire life working, but not with a lack of love for what he did and his clients were more than his clients, they were his lifelong friends.

"We use to go to a lot of funerals, Dad would go to all of his client's funerals and he would always tell me how it was," Tim said.

"Dad called me George, and he would say 'well, George, they had a good send-off, the church was full.'"

A strong man of faith with a compassionate heart is how Tim describes his father.

"Dad was a very generous man," he said.

"Dad was outgoing, hardworking, as a stock agent in those days it was a lot harder than it is these days.

"He loved his racing."

Right up until the very end Jeff was placing winning bets with a knack of being right on the money.

"He loved racing, every Saturday Mum and Dad would sit down and watch the races and he had a phone account and he would have a bet of a Saturday and then ring me on the Sunday to tell me what horse he bet on and if he had a win or a loss," Tim said.

"He did win often.

"I sat with Dad on the first night he wasn't responsive and I went through his phone.

"There was 3344 emails he hadn't opened and 176 voice messages he hadn't returned, and I went into his TAB account and he obviously had a win because there was a couple of dollars in there."

Jeff was passionate about keeping up to date with the young ones and kept an eye on everything stock-related.

"He was always interested in the young ones at work, what they were doing, he would always sit down and tell them stories of going away and buying sheep and out in the back country and going up north and buying cattle to bring back for his clients," he said.

"Dad was a strong man of the faith, he and Mum went to mass every Sunday."

The Francis home was a safe haven for their four kids who went there regularly.

"Dad was a family man, he loved family, he loved Christmas and cooking the turkey, he loved Mother's Day and Father's Day, we were always at Mum and Dad's," Tim said.

Jeff had also taken a liking to the Missionary Sisters who have been a blessing in Lorraine's life since his passing.

"Dad has been looking after the Missionary Sisters for years," Tim said.

"They came up every day and prayed when Dad was sick.

"He would drop meat off to them and at Christmas he would give them ham.

"A couple of years ago he rang me and he was at Harvey Normans and he said he had come out to buy the sisters a freezer because they hadn't had any room to store all of the meat he was giving them.

"They were a big part of his life and since his passing the five of them have been down with Mum every day."

Tim said he and his family are grateful for the hundreds of kind messages and calls they have received following the news of Jeff's passing.

"I can't get over the phone calls and text messages that I have received from all around for Dad. Had to reply to 169 text messages last Sunday," he said.

"He was in the industry a long time and he was a very well respected agent."

A Requiem Mass will be offered at St Michael's Cathedral at 1.45pm on Friday, June 14.

Following prayers after Mass the cortege will then proceed to the Wagga Lawn Cemetery.

Relatives and friends are respectfully invited to attend.

In true Jeff fashion, however loved ones and friends say their goodbyes, "whatever you do will be right".