Francesca Roberts

Francesca Irene Roberts, 92, died on November 1, 2103 in Round Rock, Texas. She moved to the Austin Area in 1996 to be close to her daughters and their families.

Her husband Jeff encouraged the move and it allowed her to see her granddaughters growing up. After Jeff died in 1999, she became involved in starting up St. Patrick's Catholic Church in Pflugerville, which is now located in Hutto.
She was inspired by this, coming from an older city, Chicago, where it seemed the churches had been there forever.

From 1969-1996, Francesca lived in Dallas. She and her daughters moved there to be close to her sister Mary and Mary's family. In 1985, she married Jeff Roberts after a long, devoted and also, fun courtship.
They worked together in service, participating in activities such as making and serving meals at St. Rita's Supper Club for AIDS Services of Dallas.

She studied Speech and Drama at Mundelein College ( In 1991, Mundelein College became an incorporated college of Loyola University Chicago.) and studied Design at the Art Institute of Chicago.
She worked in a variety of capacities in Chicago and Dallas- in the apparel industry, interior design, television, fashion and magazine advertising. Her business associates called her Gale, short for her maiden name, Galgano. During her years in Chicago, she married Olaf Harringer and Brita Harringer Mills and Carla Maria Harringer were their well-loved children.
She was a working mother (Louise Townsend's loving and competent care of the kids allowed this) but found time also to volunteer for The Little Brothers of the Poor at the Lower North Center in Chicago.

Francesca was born in Chicago September 12, 1921 to Irene Winslow Galgano and Joseph Galgano. She had three older siblings, Mike, Mary and George, 10, 8 and 7 years older and now deceased. They called her Goodie and that name was used until she moved to Dallas in1969- her daughters can only speculate about the origin of this nickname for she was a spirited personality!

Francesca made a positive impact in the lives of many (including her beloved pets). She helped finance college education for a number of loved ones and this is a lasting legacy. She always loved and enjoyed her neighbors, forming bonds with many of them that lasted a lifetime.

She is survived by her daughters Brita Mills (Ken Mills) and Carla Harringer (Richard Thomas) and her granddaughters Kelsey Mills Shofner (Matthew Shofner), Alison Mills and Sydney Thomas, her brother-in-law John Lee, her nephew Lewis Lee and his children Georgia and Hank.

The family wishes to express gratitude to Maria Najera who was her devoted caretaker and companion in later years. Many thanks go to her cardiologist, Dr. Robert Wozniak. The caretakers at Wyoming Springs Assisted Living, where she spent her last year, were amazing- kind and competent.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in her memory to Austin Pets Alive, at www.austinpetsalive.org