Frances Eareckson, Formerly Of Southampton, Dies November 1

Frances Root Eareckson

Frances Root Eareckson, formerly of Southampton, died at her home in Coronado, California, on November 1. She was 93.

Born Frances Eve Root in White Plains on January 17, 1919, “Fran” was the second of four children born to Louis Denman Root and Eve Brostrom Root. She spent her early years in Bronxville, until 1929 when her family moved to be near the ocean and their beloved “Cherry Hill” in Southampton full-time. She was a 1938 graduate of The Spence School in New York City. In 1940, she married Donald L. Mulford at St. Andrew’s Dune Church in Southampton. The couple moved to his hometown of Montclair, New Jersey, where they raised three daughters, Marcia, Sally and Sandra (Sandy).

With the ending of that marriage, Ms. Eareckson moved to another beachside community, Sarasota, Florida, where she lived until 1966 when her second husband Eric Eareckson died. Again drawn to the ocean, she moved to the San Diego area upon the advice of her father. She lived in several locations in Coronado and La Jolla, being most at peace by the sea in Coronado. She served as a Pink Lady Volunteer at the Coronado Hospital and was a member of Christ Episcopal Church, serving for a number of years on the Flower Guild. She will be remembered as an elegant but quiet woman who always created and appreciated beautiful surroundings, survivors said.

Ms. Eareckson was a great lover of animals and owned dogs all her life, beginning with her beloved black and white Scotties Nip and Tuck. She was comforted to the end by her little Susie, which never left her side.

She is survived by two daughters, Marcia Mulford Cini and her husband William of Massachusetts and Sally M. Patrick and her husband Chris LaTour of Salt Lake City; a sister, Susie Hodges and her husband Bill of Cupertino, California; three grandchildren, Valerie, Christopher and Sarah; and two great-grandchildren, Cameron and Gunnar. She was predeceased by daughter, Sandy; her sister, Ann; and her brother, Bud.

Ms. Eareckson will be buried in the memorial garden of Christ Episcopal Church in Coronado. A memorial service will be held at the church on Saturday, December 1, at 11 a.m. The family requests donations be made to a charity of the donor’s choice.