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From:TheBahamasWeekly.com Obituaries After forty-nine years as a faithful soldier in the army of the Lord and servant leader to his family of churches, the community and to his country in proclaiming the word of God, a giant in the religious and Christian community has passed and with him an era. In a bitter-sweet moment, the Progressive Liberal Party celebrates the life and work of Dr. Earle M.W. Francis while mourning his departure from this life after ninety-two fruitful years. Commissioned to lead the then Salem Grove Mission located on the corner of Market Street and Coconut Grove Avenue in 1964, the fifty years to follow saw a name change to First Baptist Church and an impressive expansion to the First Baptist family of churches under his pastoral leadership. These mission churches include the South Beach Union Baptist Church, Harold Road Baptist Church, Rivers of Life Baptist Church, Mt Theo’s Baptist Church and Cedars of Lebanon Baptist Church. Demonstrating his commitment to education, Dr. Francis was instrumental in securing scholarships for some 100 Bahamian students to attend Selma University in Alabama. A businessman and pioneer in the Hotel Industry in over the hill with the construction of the Grants Town Hotel which was located McPherson Street. Married for sixty-six years to Marjorie Eloise Francis (nee Taylor), this union was blessed with thirteen children and stands as a model for family life in The Bahamas. The couple advised that the secrets to a good marriage are communication, sharing and much love. Like many Bahamians, I am grateful for the time God has loan Dr. Francis to us. The examples he has left us in terms of his love for and loyalty to God, family, community and country have left an indelible impression on the social landscape of The Bahamas. On behalf of the Progressive Liberal Party, I express my heartfelt condolences to his lovely wife of sixty-six years, Marjorie Eloise Taylor-Francis, affectionately known as “sweet potato;” his eleven surviving children including his daughter, the Rev. Diana Francis and sons, Percy “Vola” Francis, a cultural icon in his own right and Dr. Emmanuel Francis other family and Church members. May his soul and the souls of the dearly departed rest in peace
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Nassau, Bahamas -