Frances M. "Pat" Earle

Frances M. ‘Pat’ Earle, 95, passed away in Greenwood, her family with her, on January 28, 2021.

She was born May 25, 1925 in Cumberland, Indiana, the 5th child of Claude & Edith Foxworthy. She was raised in & around Broad Ripple (Indianapolis), and graduated from Broad Ripple High School as class vice president in 1943. Her future husband was class president! In her high school years, she attended school during winter months with her family in Fort Myers, Florida at their ‘winter’ home. When her beloved Vernon Earle, Jr. enlisted in the Army Air Force after graduation, she kept busy at home with volunteer activities, and apparently decided to show Vernon she could keep up with his pilot training as she took flying lessons herself and had one solo flight, a remarkable thing to her kids considering she never enjoyed air travel after that!

She and Vernon were married Sept. 1, 1946, as he began his college days at Purdue. They built our family home in Indianapolis in 1949 and raised us with much love. After our family had grown, she & Dad lived a few winters as snowbirds in Fort Myers, and really enjoyed traveling, especially to Disney World in Florida, but finally decided that Indianapolis was home, and they moved into the Greenwood Village South retirement complex in 1992.

Mom loved being a volunteer at a nursing home for many years, was active for many years at Broad Ripple Methodist Church, but primarily she was our Mom at home while we grew up, famous for her pies, strawberry shortcake, and love for her family. She enjoyed good health for 95 years and we’ve been so blessed to have her all that time.

She was preceded in death by our Dad, Vernon Earle, her parents, and 7 brothers & sisters. She is survived by her children Jane Richardson (Mark), Ralph (Leigh), William, Cynthia Grigdesby, Robert (Kris), and Martha Ovall (John), 13 grandchildren, 6 great-grandchildren, and numerous nieces and nephews.

A private family service & burial in Union Chapel Cemetery, Indianapolis, for her and Dad will be held at a later date. Memorials may be made to Broad Ripple United Methodist Church, 6185 Guilford Ave, Indianapolis, IN 46220, or Parkinson’s Foundation, 200 SE 1st St., Ste. 800, Miami, FL 33131, in honor of her time helping Dad in his final years.

We love you, Mom & Dad, and we’ll see you again!

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