I went to a funeral today. It was held in honor of my good friend Fran Gallardo, who was 80 years old when she passed away last Friday. Fran was a former JW, in the best of health, but was struck by a car as she crossed the street on her way home. Fran had dropped her car off a few blocks away at the Pep Boys to get her car worked on. So she walked home. As she crossed the street on Florence Avenue, one block from her home, another car driven by a 74 year old woman was driving to make a left turn on Florence Avenue and she didn't see Fran in the crosswalk. Fran was pronounced dead four hours later.
I met Fran Gallardo sometime in 1984; I was pretty much a new Christian at the time and still reeling from the hurt of being shunned by my parents and the rest of the family who is JW. I moved to Downey, California in January 1983, escaping the prison I felt living in Tucson, Arizona, where I could run into old friends and family who were and still are JW's. In 1984 I met Randy Watters of Free Minds, who gave a list of ex JW's that I could contact in the area. It was really WONDERFUL to have seen Fran's name on the list see that she lived in my town, about 2 miles from me!
Fran and her husband Al were retired and lived a very active life. Fran was always busy doing something, helping someone, she was just full of energy all of the time. Fran was the kind of person that if you needed something, or needed her for almost any reason, she'd just jump right in and give you a hand. It's just the way she was. She used to tell me some really funny stories of some of the things that would happen with her neighbors too. One of her neighbors was retired from the Army and he had a Filipino wife. Well the wife didn't know how to cook American food, so Fran went over there to teach her how to make a turkey and other things needed for Thanksgiving. She taught her how to bake an apple pie too! That is just the kind of person Fran was.
Fran had left the Watchtower about the same time that I did. When I met her, she was quite happy to be out of the Watchtower and free to work, live life, and be her own person! She was an amazing woman. She literally took me under her wing and gave me such support that I needed at the time. With having my situation, and a mother who would not talk to me and shunned me every step of the way, Fran took me under her motherly wing, and I loved her for it. Once when I told her I wanted to make tamales, but I didn't know how to make the masa, she told me just where to go to buy the best masa. She was right too. My tamales came out very good that year!
Fran had also gone to Randy Watters potlucks. Once I was introducing her around to people when she went for the first time, and someone asked, "Is she your mother?" I said to the person, "No, but I sure wish she was".
I had already started going to Calvary Chapel in Downey and I encouraged Fran to do the same. Fran had once said, as many former JW's do, "No, I'm not interested in any church or religion. I'll just worship God at home, because I don't want to get involved in any kind of organization". Famous last words.........
Fran gave her life to Jesus Christ pretty much after she began attending Calvary Chapel. I think that I brought her there around Easter time, maybe in about 1985, but I can't be sure. Fran loved the Lord Jesus and shared the gospel message with everyone she met. Apparently she shared the gospel with her sister and her nieces and nephews because I found out that they had become Christians too. Apparently, when Fran was a JW (I believe she and her husband became JW's as a young married couple), thankfully, her family did not listen to that message that she brought from the JW's. But they did listen to the real gospel message about Jesus. One of her nieces and a nephew both spoke her her funeral; they spoke so lovingly of Fran and how much Fran loved Jesus
Fran's life after leaving the Watchtower was a true testimony of her love for Jesus. I should also add that her husband Al went home to be with the Lord in 1998. There were two hymns that were sung at the funeral, that are of my favorites. 1. "In the Garden" and 2. "How Great Thou Art". But the last song, I loved because it truly tells how many Christians feel about when we reach our heavenly home. This song is done by the group Mercy Me and is called, "I Can Only Imagine". Here are the lyrics:
Artist: MercyMe
Album : Almost There
Song: I Can Only Imagine
Lyrics :
I can only imagine
What it will be like
When I walk
By Your side
I can only imagine
What my eyes will see
When Your face
Is before me
I can only imagine
{Chorus}:
Surrounded by Your glory, what will my heart feel
Will I dance for You Jesus or in awe of You be still
Will I stand in Your presence or to my knees will I fall
Will I sing hallelujah, will I be able to speak at all
I can only imagine
I can only imagine
When that day comes
And I find myself
Standing in the Son
I can only imagine
When all I will do
Is forever
Forever worship You
I can only imagine
Goodbye Fran! I will miss you but, I'll see you again when I reach heaven one day.
Cynthia Hampton
Return to Ex JW's Los Angeles