Maureen Frank

Maureen (Sullivan) Frank, 70, of Great Falls, passed away Saturday, October 7, 2017.A memorial service will be Saturday, October 14, 2017 at Hillcrest Lawn Memorial Chapel at 10:00 a.m. with a burial of ashes to follow at Highland Cemetery. Schnider Funeral Home is handling the arrangementsMaureen (Sullivan) Frank was born in Helena, Montana on October 9, 1946 to Frank and Virginia (Simons) Sullivan. Much of her early life was spent in Townsend with her grandparents Frank and Stella Simons. At age 3, Maureen and her parents moved to Missoula, where she would attend St. Francis Xavier grade school and graduate from Sacred Heart Academy in 1964. While at Sacred Heart, Maureen won several writing awards and was editor of the Quill & Scroll Society. She also wrote a weekly column for the Missoulian newspaper.In 1970, Maureen became Missoula District Office Manager for Western District Congressman Richard Shoup and remained in the position for two congressional terms. It was, in her words, her dream job.On May 26, 1973, she married John Donegan of Anaconda, Montana. The marriage resulted in the birth of their son, John Douglas Doug Donegan. A move to Great Falls brought a new marriage to Paul D. Bray. In their 17year union was born a son, Kevin Bray.In 1997, Maureen married Gary J. Frank, the man who, again in her words, made her heart smile. In the marriage she found the peace and safe haven she had never before known. Her beloved sons were happy that mom finally had someone to love her and take care of her. They went thru life with some ups and downs, including devastating house fires in 1997 and 2012, but always came out the other side, stronger and more together than ever before.Always involved in what her sons were into, Maureen became a hockey mom for 14 years. She served as vice president of Great Falls Youth Hockey and was on the board of directors for several seasons. She could always be found in the bleachers for games. The organization led to long-term friendships that last to this day.In her professional life, Maureen worked for Doctors Russell L. Edwin and E. Gary Peterson, MDs. for 20 years, until that office closed in 2003. She very much enjoyed working for Doctors Edwin and Peterson, and she was very fond of the patients she met along the way. She worked the remainder of her career in the Vision Center of the Great Falls Clinic, retiring in 2012.In retirement, Maureen and Gary took on Garys retirement project, traveling to every single town on the Montana map. Some were easy to find, others not so much. Maureen also read voraciously, 3-4 books a week and enjoyed losing herself in TV programs like House of Cards, Hell on Wheels, and NCIS, oh that Mark Harmon!!And always there was shopping. If shopping had been an Olympic sport, Maureen would surely have had several gold medals. She and dear friend, Kathy Cuniff made semi-yearly shopping trips to Spokane for over 25 years. Kathys sister, Betty, and once old enough and mature enough, daughter-in-law Nicole were often allowed to accompany them.Doug and Kevin were her proudest accomplishments. When those beautiful grandchildren came along, she found a new intensity of love she had never known existed and she reveled in being Grandma Reenie to all those little people.Maureen was preceded in death by her grandparents, Frank and Stella Simons; Francis and Kate Sullivan; parents Frank and Virginia Sullivan, and numerous special aunts and uncles.Maureen is survived by her husband, Gary; brother Michael (Diane) Sullivan; sons Doug (Nicole) Donegan and Kevin (Robin Vogue) Bray; stepchildren Darren (Kristine), Kristi (Derek) Frank, and Mike (Ruth) Bray; as well as her amazing grandchildren, Cole and Cade Donegan, Vincent, Rochelle, Sophia, and Anthony Bray, Emma, Faith, Brianna, and Sullivan Bray, Kayleigh Oleson, and Nicklas Frank.She is also survived by her daughter, Molly (Ron) Garrick-Beck, who was adopted and raised with honesty and love by Jackie and Bob Garrick and grandchildren Lily and Zander Beck.Donations in Maureens name may be made to a charity of the donors choice.