Obituary of Frances V. Hochmuth

Holden & Orono - Frances Viola (Fraser) “Fran” Hochmuth, 103, only child of the late Mervyn Fraser and Helen (Warren) Whiting, passed June 20, 2024 in Bangor, Maine.  

She was born October 7, 1920 in Limerick, Saskatchewan, Canada and attended schools in Saskatchewan, Alberta and Ontario. She graduated in Ontario from Dryden Continuation School, Class of 1938 and from there entered St. Joseph Hospital School of Nursing in Port Arthur Ontario, now Thunder Bay, and graduated from there as a Registered Nurse in 1942. Fran started her nursing career with the Ontario Red Cross outpost hospitals at Dryden and the gold mining town of Kirkland Lake. Following World War II, she met and married Frank Hochmuth, an American mechanical engineer from Staunton, Illinois. After acquiring a labor exit permit from Canada and a permanent visa from the United States government she moved to New York City with Frank where he was employed at that time. On her arrival in the United States Fran learned that she was required to register for the next five years as an alien before she could apply for citizenship. She became an American citizen in 1953. They moved to Summit, New Jersey where their two daughters, Carol and Patti were born, and then to Simsbury, Connecticut where the children grew up and left for college. During those years Fran served as a volunteer with the American Red Cross as chairman of nursing services and on the frequent blood banks in the area. When Frank transferred to Montreal, Canada they moved to Hudson, Quebec in 1969, and here Fran became active in her first love of painting and in time became an honorary life member of “The Lake of Two Mountains Sketching Group.” They returned to the United States in 1979 and took up residence in Holden, Maine, and Fran became a member of Helen Marie Allen's “Studio 4” art group for several years. She also served as a corporate board member at Phillips-Strickland House in Bangor for 15 years and on retirement from there was honored as Corporator Emerita. She loved animals, particularly cats and German Shepherds, and made happy homes for many of them over the years. She enjoyed collecting and making furnishings and people for her doll house, playing scrabble and bridge and m her younger years in Canada loved to skate, ski and snowshoe.

In 2005 they moved to a cottage at the friendly and caring retirement community of Dirigo Pines in Orono, Maine, and it was here, after sixty-three years together that Frank sadly passed away. Frances was also predeceased by her dear daughter Patti, uncles Dr. Glenn and Doris Fraser of Oregon, Clarence Fraser, Delbert and Geraldine Fraser of British Columbia, aunts Daisy Boucher, Ida Richardson and Elsie Warren of Saskatchewan, and cousins Fraser ”Bud” Hanna of Vancouver BC and Dallas Hancock of Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada.

She is survived by her beloved daughter Carol Klein of Glen Allen, Virginia,  and son-in-law George Paczolt and wife Margaret Paczolt of Ashland, Virginia; her devoted friend Sandy Imondi of Brewer, Maine; sister-in-law, Sarah Hochmuth of Staunton, lllinois;   cousins, Doug and Carol Fraser of Florida; Greg and Jill Fraser of  PA;  Robert Fraser of Michigan; Bruce and Margaret Fraser of  Vancouver, BC; Lyn Vanetti of Calgary, AB; Audrey Dalzell of Thunder Bay, Ontario and Helen and Allan Seward of Oregon.

The family would like to thank her personal physician Morag Robertson AGNP-C of Bangor, Maine, her many wonderful caregivers from D&C Caregivers and the staff of Dirigo Pines Retirement Community for their support and the happiness they brought her over these many years, as well as Jonathan Ariyaratnam, MD and staff of St. Joseph Hospital, Bangor, Maine who provided such care and comfort in her last days.

A graveside service at Hill Rest Cemetery, at the corner of Wiswell Road & Copeland Hill Road, Holden will be private. Messages and memories of Fran may be shared with her family on the tribute wall of kileyandfoley.com.