Farid Francis Obituary, Farid Francis Has Sadly Passed Away – Death Cause
Farid Francis Obituary, Death – He passed away on Palm Sunday, April 2, 2023, at the age of 78, with his family and friends by his side, as well as the hospice staff and volunteers.His family consists of his wife of nearly 50 years, Arlette (née Nader); his three sons, Eddie (and his wife Tiffany), Roger (and his wife Carolyn), and Fred (and their mother, Carolyn); and their grandchildren.
Pierce (and his wife Tiffany), Sienna (and Roger), Preston (and Carolyn), and Phoenix (and their mother Carolyn). His daughter, son-in-law, and two siblings all predeceased him, including Michelle Prince (Eddie). The tenth and youngest son of Choucri and Tuffaaha Francis was named Farid. On June 9, 1944, Farid was born in a small town about 21 kilometers east of Beirut in Lebanon.
He was deeply committed to his new home of Windsor, but his memories and the spirit of Lebanon kept his youthful happiness alive. He came to Windsor in 1970 seeking a better life and has been welcomed by the kindness of his new family, the friendship of his new neighbors, and the generosity of the local business community. He may have left Lebanon, but he nevertheless carried the spirit of his youth with him.
After getting married to his high school sweetheart in Lebanon in 1973, Farid and Arlette decided to start a new chapter of their life together in Windsor, Ontario. Farid, a poor man without a formal education, worked as a jeweler in New York City before relocating to Windsor. He had an outstanding work ethic and was extremely goal-oriented.
To save any money at all, he had to work various jobs with often incompatible schedules, resulting in his getting very little sleep. This was a common experience for newcomers at the time. He was thankful for the opportunities he had been provided, which allowed him to start a family while working as a cook at Windsor Raceway, on the line at Kelsey Hayes as a member of CAW 195, and as a moonlighting aluminum siding installer on the side.
Farid’s ambition to become a successful businessman led him and two friends to launch the Francis Mediterranean Bakery on Tecumseh Road East in 1977. Francis Mediterranean Bakery, one of the first pita bread manufacturers and distributors in Ontario, catered to the sizable Arab population who inhabited both sides of the international border between Canada and the United States. Twenty years later, his expertise was essential in launching the Royal Pita Baking Company.
Farid has been honored for his life’s work of sharing the cuisine and culture of Lebanon with North Americans. He has done this by extending to other newcomers to Windsor the same kind of welcome he received when he first settled there. In his later years, Farid frequently commuted between Windsor, where he lived, and Lebanon, his country of birth and a place where he still had many close friends and relatives.
