Vernon French Obituary

Vernon Lee French

May 21, 1926 - Mar 3, 2024

Sun Lakes, AZ

Vernon Lee "Vern" French died Sunday, March 3, 2024, at Robson Reserve in Sun Lakes, Arizona.

He was born May 21, 1926, in Spink County, to Pearl and Earl French. Vernon was raised in Beadle County, South Dakota. He lived and attended school in Beadle County, South Dakota. Vernon married Marilyn June Palmer on June 13, 1948, in Danube, Minnesota, after his return from World War II, they raised three children. Vern and Marilyn moved from Danube, Minnesota, to Bryan in 1959 for Vern to take a position with Ohio Art Company where they made their home for 59 years. In 1991, Vern retired from Ohio Art Company as Director of Transportation and Warehousing. Since 2001, they lived at Sunbird Golf Resort in Chandler, Arizona, initially as snowbirds (winters) and full-time starting in 2017.

In the early years, Vernon farmed until graduating from Humbolt Institute in St. Paul, Minnesota, before moving to Bryan. Vernon served on Bryan City Council for 25 years and volunteered in the community through several organizations, Lions Club, Masonic Temple, Butler Street Faith United Methodist Church, and New Hope Church. Vern and Marilyn played in several bridge clubs in Bryan and Chandler, golf, and loved "coffee with the guys."

Vernon loved his family, especially hosting family holidays and gatherings. He also loved the A to Z senior group and Sunday school class with New Hope Church. Vernon also loved attending Community Church of Sunbird in Chandler, Arizona, where Vernon served on the leadership committee for four years. He is remembered as being such a great guy, an excellent listener, a gardener, and a talented woodworker and will be fondly remembered.

He is survived by his sister, Eleanor Christianson of Kalispell, Montana; son, Curtis (Susan) French of Syracuse, Indiana, and Chandler, Arizona; son, Craig (Pat) French of Norwalk; daughter, Cherri (Steve) Meyer of Bryan and Chandler, Arizona; 13 grandchildren; 22 great-grandchildren; and two great-great-grandchildren.

Vernon was preceded in death by Marilyn in 2020 after almost 72 years of marriage; father, Earl; mother, Pearl; sisters, Jean Hurst of Redfield, South Dakota, and Lois Poe of Bonilla, South Dakota; and brothers, Wayne French and Norman French of Redfield, South Dakota.

Visitation will be Friday, July 26, 2024, and a celebration of life Saturday, July 27, 2024, both in Bryan at a location yet to be determined. Interment with military rites will follow the celebration of life at Shiffler Cemetery, Bryan.

Memorials may be made to the Vernon L. French Memorial Scholarship in care of Bryan Area Foundation, P O Box 651, Bryan, Ohio, 43506.