Frances Daley Tapia

Frances Daley Tapia, our gorgeous, sweet, generous mother passed on peacefully in a loving family home on the morning of Tuesday, May 12, 2015. She was born, Placida Daley, on January 29, 1917 in the small mining town of Silver Bell, AZ and grew up in both Phoenix and Wickenburg during the roaring 20’s and the Great Depression. She attended the Monroe School, was an excellent student, and loved softball. One of her teachers, Lattie Coor, Sr., highly recommended that Frances pursue higher education, but unfortunately she could not, due to family issues. Frances was very religious throughout her life, and in her youth was a Daughter of Mary (“girls in white dresses with blue satin sashes”). She absolutely loved music, was a talented dancer, and carried herself with style and grace well into her late 90’s. She had an eye for color and beauty in the world, loved to laugh, and had a strong, spirited personality beneath it all. In 1940, she met her husband and the love of her life, Joseph B. Tapia, while waiting in line outside the Fox Theatre in downtown Phoenix, and the rest is history. They were married April 20, 1941. During World War II, while her husband was a soldier in the Philippines, she held down the home front raising two young daughters by herself. She raised six children total over the course of 60 years (the youngest with Downs Syndrome), and was nothing short of a Super Mom. She did everything. She made a clean, well-decorated, comfortable home for all of us, and cooked a delectable array of original recipes that are still the subject of conversation at family gatherings. She was also an expert seamstress and spent countless hours in the evenings making new clothes for all her daughters, and one year, even a ringmaster costume for her only son, Joey. She also managed to keep her beautiful figure and would often be seen doing floor exercises to Jack LaLanne in the afternoon. Of course, she kept the books too, and did it all on a tight budget.

Most of all, mom was a great, loving, nurturing influence spanning multiple generations and was a magnet for every child and family pet that came near her. They just naturally gravitated to her warmth and goodness. Family holiday get-togethers were an unforgettable tradition and they made an indelible mark on our huge extended family. Everyone has their own special memories of being with our mom because she made everyone feel really special and welcomed. Frances suffered from Alzheimer’s Syndrome in her last years, but she was never sickly or in pain, and maintained a gracious, smiling, youthful elegance to the very end. We were all so lucky to have her in our lives and we will all miss her terribly.

Frances is survived by her five children, Ann D. Fenner, Josephine Brunelle Dykes, Frances Tapia Rogers, Carolyn Daniels, and Joseph Thaddeus Tapia. Her sixth child, Catherine Rose Tapia died in 2002. She is also survived by 11 grandchildren, 25 great grandchildren, and 3 great-great grandchildren. Visitation will be held from 9:00 – 10:00 AM with a Rosary at 10:00 AM and Funeral Mass at 10:30 AM, on Friday, May 15, 2015 at Saint Agnes Catholic Church, 1954 N. 24th Street, Phoenix, AZ. Burial will follow at St. Francis Catholic Cemetery, 2033 N. 48th Street, Phoenix, AZ. Arrangements entrusted to Whitney & Murphy Funeral Home.