Fran Lewis, 90, died on July 29, 2024, after a brief illness, at home surrounded by her loving family.
Frances Irene Eastlick was born in Fort Jones, California on December 5, 1933, to Lester Willard Eastlick and Irene (Bottoms) Eastlick, the youngest of three children. Along with her brother Wilburn and sister Dorothy, she grew up in Greenview, California, in beautiful Scott Valley, Siskiyou County, where both sides of her family had lived for generations. She graduated Valedictorian of her class at Etna Union High School in 1951, the same school where her mother had been class Valedictorian a generation earlier.
After high school, Frances attended Armstrong Business College and then UC Berkeley, where she met Russell Lewis. They married on June 11, 1955, during his service in the Army. They were stationed in Texas and Louisiana. After that, they moved back to the Bay Area for Russ to attend San Francisco Theological Seminary, and where their two children, Blaine and Leslie were born.
The family moved to Poplar, Montana, in 1960, where Russ was called to be the minister of the First Presbyterian Church. His second congregation was in Ephrata, Washington, where they moved in 1965. Three years later, Fran and Russ decided to further their education, moving with their family to Ellensburg, Washington, to attend Central Washington State College (now CWU).
While Russ worked on his M.S. degree in Counseling Psychology, Fran finished her B.A. in Sociology, then went on to earn her Masters, also in Counseling Psychology. Russ opened a private practice, Family Service and Counseling Center, in Ellensburg. Fran commuted to work as a family therapist at Grant County Mental Health in Ephrata, and then at Mental Health Services of Yakima. Her role in Yakima went from family therapist to clinical supervisor to executive director. The agency grew under her leadership, consolidated with other area agencies and became Central Washington Comprehensive Mental Health, with offices in Yakima, Sunnyside, Toppenish, Cle Elum and Ellensburg. When Blaine and Leslie graduated from Ellensburg High School and started attending Central, Russ and Fran sold their Ellensburg home and bought another in Yakima as their commuting roles switched.
Fran was a founder and the second president of the Eastern Washington Mental Health Council and promoted its merger with the Western Washington Mental Health Council, when the two became the Washington Community Mental Health Council. As Executive Director of the agency, she traveled to state and national events to advocate for mental health funding. Fran was instrumental in writing, lobbying and implementing new legislation for mental health organizations, experiencing the full legislative process as she served as a liaison (lobbyist) statewide. She was chosen as one of 25 Mental Health CEOs nationally to participate in the National Institute of Mental Health Advanced Training for Mental Health Administration.
When she wasn't traveling to Olympia or Washington D.C., Fran and Russ loved spending time in Seattle where they enjoyed restaurants, theatre, music, and sports. They bought an apartment there so that they could stay for weekends. Soon they made the change to Western Washington for good. In 1984, Fran left her successful stint at CWCMH to establish her own firm in downtown Seattle, Integrated Management Technologies, Inc., which provided management consultation to non-profit agencies, as well as office automation and consultation services. Both Fran and Russ offered counseling services at IMTI through their Sound Therapy Institute as he transitioned from his Ellensburg office.
In 1992, Fran accepted the position of Mental Health Manager of Pierce County, and within a few years became Director of Human Services, comprised of four divisions: Aging and Long-Term Care, Chemical Dependency, Developmental Disabilities and Mental Health. In 2000 she oversaw the purchase and administration of a 48-bed psychiatric hospital.
Fran and Russ both retired in 2007. They enjoyed several trips to Great Britain together. Later they moved to Port Townsend to be closer to their children and to live in the beautiful seaport village they had come to know and love decades earlier when they owned a vacation condo in Port Ludlow.
Fran was a real force of nature. She was a leader who knew what she wanted to achieve and went after it. She was politically active and supported progressive causes of all types. Her years in the field of mental health benefited many people in Central Washington and in Pierce County. She loved her work, and she loved her family. Fran was predeceased by husband, Russ and daughter-in-law Sue. Survivors include son Blaine, daughter Leslie (Pete); grandsons Klayton (Lindsey), Kole (Teri), Kane (Lois) and Wesley (Cheryl) and their families. She will be greatly missed.
