Francis Oliver Webb

Obituary for Dr. Francis Webb Dr. Francis Oliver Webb passed away on July 2, 2021, at The Gardens at Town Square in Bellevue, Wash. He was 95 years old. Francis – Frank to his many friends -- was born in Bismarck, N.D., on Jan. 26, 1926, in the midst of a legendary snowstorm. The third of six children born to Phillip Ritchie (P.R.) Webb and Edna (Wachal) Webb, Francis attended Saint Mary’s School in Bismarck from kindergarten through high school, graduating in 1944 under the pall of World War II. He continued his education at Dickinson State College, N.D., where he joined the Navy and entered officers training to be a Navy pilot until the war ended and changed his plans. Following his honorable discharge from the Navy in 1945, he earned a Bachelor of Science degree at St. John’s University in St. Cloud, Minn., a Master of Science at Notre Dame University in South Bend, Ind., and a Doctorate of Dental Surgery at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. Soon after, a cross-country trek with four children launched his career in dentistry in Yakima, Wash. Hired by the Government Health Service, he first practiced on the Yakima Indian Reservation in nearby Toppenish and later opened private practices in Naches and Yakima. Frank married Minnie Wittenberg of Zap, N.D., in 1949 and began a family which eventually included eight children. As their family grew, Frank and Minnie enjoyed regular trips to Hill’s Resort at Priest Lake, Idaho, where the youngsters learned to water ski “almost as well” as their dad. Frank skied into his eighth decade, though by then some of his family watched carefully from the boat to be sure he made it all the way around his traditional loop of the lake. Family gatherings at Hill’s continue to this day, and include three generations of Frank’s descendants who gather by the dozens each summer. Another of Frank’s passions was golf, which he enjoyed with friends from The Gardens and elsewhere until health issues brought his career to an end in 2018. In retirement, Frank and Minnie moved to Bellevue, joined the Bellevue Athletic Club and Sacred Heart Catholic Parish, and settled into a routine of travel and spending time with family and friends. In 2014, the couple moved into The Gardens at Town Square where they spent their final years. At The Gardens, Frank was enthusiastic about a wide range of activities: he played bridge with several groups, challenged family and caregivers to games of King’s Corners, joined the exercise class, he discovered a latent talent for painting through classes at Bellevue Community College, and participated energetically in the weekly Bible study to which he was known to invite one and all. He also led a Rosary group at The Gardens and authored a booklet on praying the Rosary, now in its third edition. Frank is preceded in death by his eldest son Michael, wife Minnie, four siblings, and granddaughter Lara Street. He is survived by seven children: Kathleen (Larry) Lee of Spokane, Wash.; Margaret (Rob) Main of Bellingham, Wash.; William (Barb) Webb of Mukilteo, Wash.; Nancy (Tom) Street of Mill Creek, Wash.; Thomas (Becky) Webb of Spokane, Wash.; Jeffrey (Alison Scott) Webb of Spokane, Wash.; Mary (Julie Carlton) Webb of Chandler, Ariz. He leaves behind 12 grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren. Though active to the end, Frank managed several health issues with the loving support of family, devoted caregivers, and Evergreen Hospice. For information about funeral services, refer to the Beck’s Tribute Center at www.beckstributecenter.com, which allows visitors to post photos and personal tributes to Frank. Gifts to any of the following organizations would be a fitting tribute: the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society www.lls.org, the Seattle Brain Cancer Walk www.seattlebraincancerwalk.org, and the American Macular Degeneration Society www.macular.org.