Mercedes Cecilia Francois' Obituary
Mercedes Cecelia Francois Alexander was born on October 25, 1940 in the Canal Zone in the Republic of Panama to McCauley and Hilda Alexander Francois. She was the ninth child born of thirteen children, and she was one of the only set of twins born in the family. She departed this earthly life on January 12, 2018 in Clearwater, Florida after a courageous six-year battle with cancer.
Mercedes, affectionately known to many as “Tetti” spent her early years in Panama attending and graduating from Instituto Nacional High School. In 1962 she migrated to the United States, making Brooklyn, New York her place of residence. She lived there with her beloved twin sister, Felicia, if not living in the same building, always within a few streets from each other. Mercedes was a lifelong learner and hard worker. She developed many skills through a variety of courses and certifications. She worked for hair products company Goody for many years, traveling from Brooklyn to New Jersey where the company was located. She then worked for New York Telephone Company until the telephone service giant folded. Later in life, she insisted on working to “stay busy” and worked for Rainbow Stores.
For many years, Mercedes gave all her love and time to her many nieces and nephews. She was always there when they needed her. It was in July of 1977, while visiting her brother Francis in the Bronx, that she was rushed to the hospital to give birth prematurely to her one and only little angel Danixa Yasmin Francois. Mercedes was a tough and loving mother, who always wanted the best for her daughter. She enjoyed spending time with family, eating good food, dancing, playing Bingo, and going to Atlantic City. When diagnosed in 2012 with breast cancer, she was determined to fight the disease, beating it in 2014. Unfortunately, the cancer returned in 2015, and despite many treatments, God’s will was for her to come to rest in her eternal home.
Mercedes leaves to cherish her memory, her daughter Danixa; her two grand children Sequoia N. Gibson Washington and Amiel D. Francois-Gibson; seven surviving sisters: Hilda, Gloria, Marva, Felicia, Carmen, Elsa and Ana; two surviving brothers: Juan and Demetrio; many cousins, nieces and nephews; and a host of other close relatives, neighbors and friends.
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