Frances Irwin Blanchard

Frances Irwin Blanchard, 79, of Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, widow of Jack A. Fry, entered peacefully into eternal rest Thursday, September 15, 2016, surrounded by her children.

Frances was born February 20, 1937, in Charleston, South Carolina, daughter of John J. Irwin and Lillian E. Hunkler Irwin. She graduated from Rivers High School and attended Roper Nursing Center. In high school, Frances was an all-star athlete for basketball and track. She was married for twenty-five years and was blessed with ten children.

After her divorce in 1981, Frances had to face the challenge of raising the last seven younger children on her own as a single parent. She took tremendous pride in her family and was steadfast in her commitment to raising her children in the Catholic faith at Christ Our King Catholic Church, teaching her children and grandchildren how to care for one another, have a good sense of humor and to never give up when facing adversity. She lit up the community not only with an abundance of holiday decorations but with a prevailing attitude of love thy neighbor. Frances adored children and would take every opportunity to make one smile. She parlayed her talent and love for sports into coaching at Christ Our King and for the Mount Pleasant Recreation Department. In addition, she volunteered for church and school functions and made sure that as a "classroom mother" she would provide treats to each of her children's classmates so every child was able to have something special on a holiday.

Frances was blessed to marry Jack Fry. Their love formed a bond of acceptance, understanding and appreciation for each other. They enjoyed cookouts, local festivals and family movie nights. In her later years, she spent quality time with her children, grandchildren and companion Roy Jenkins.

Her beautiful life will forever be cherished in the lives of her children: Kathy (Andrew) Turrisi, Jack Blanchard, Anne Hilton, Theresa (Mike) Ashley, Patricia Crocker, Sandra (Guy) Brewer, Cynthia (Russell) Suggs, Steven (Rebecca) Blanchard, Susan (Jeffrey) Embrose, and Brian (Marcie) Blanchard; sisters: Delores Wrenn, Shirley Hanlon, and Charlotte (Ronald) Hanna; sisters-in-law: Beulah Irwin and Dero Irwin; 25 grandchildren; 8 great-grandchildren; and a host of devoted nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.

In addition to her parents, Frances was preceded in death by her three brothers: Jack, George, and Eugene Irwin; a sister, Lillie Crouch and a grandson, Cameron Crocker. Frances was a great wife, mother, grandmother, friend, and will remain forever a hero in our hearts.

The family will receive friends on Tuesday, September 20, 2016, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Stuhr funeral home in Mount Pleasant. Her funeral service will be held Wednesday, September 21, 2016, in the J. Henry Stuhr Mount Pleasant Chapel, 1494 Mathis Ferry Road at 11:00 a.m. Interment, Mount Pleasant Memorial Gardens.

Memorials may be made to: DCI East Cooper Dialysis, 1088 Johnnie Dodds Blvd., Mt Pleasant, SC or the American Heart Association, 4217 Park Place Ct., Glen Allen, VA, 23060.