Dennis Bruce Francis died on Oct. 29 in his West Knox County home after a brief, fierce battle with cancer. His wife, Theresa Habiger, daughter McKennah, and grandsons Bentley and Grayson were with him at his passing.
Mr. Francis was a lifelong Catholic and a gifted trial lawyer who softened the edges of his razor wit with a touch of blarney and an abundance of Irish charm. A yellow dog Democrat, he was a past chair of the Knox County Election Commission and a passionate defender of voting rights who also served on the state Democratic Executive Committee. He was a ride-or-die Buffalo Bills fan and a gregarious soul who celebrated St. Patrick’s Day by handing out green carnations to friends and strangers alike.
The youngest of six children born to Irene and Malcolm Francis of Buffalo, N.Y., Mr. Francis arrived on April 15, 1946, weighing in at 10 pounds and sporting a head full of dark curly hair. His sister, Mary, describes him as an extraordinarily beautiful child.
He arrived in Knoxville in 1970 after being accepted to the University of Tennessee College of Law. He was a graduate of Indiana State University. While attending UT, he lived in Fort Sanders and worked on Cumberland Avenue as well as buying and selling antique furniture and stained-glass windows.
He earned his law degree in 1974 and accepted a job as general counsel at Eastern State Psychiatric Hospital (later Lakeshore Mental Health Institute), where he settled in and began to establish himself professionally. He settled into Knoxville, too, and became a respected member of the local bar.
In addition to Theresa, McKennah, Bentley, and Grayson, Mr. Francis is survived by his daughter Savannah, sister Mary, brother Patrick, several nieces and nephews, and too many friends to count.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Irene and Malcolm; sister JoAnne; brothers Edward and Malcolm; and a niece, Shannon.
A funeral Mass for Mr. Francis was celebrated on Nov. 5 at St. John Neumann Church in Farragut. Burial was at Edgewood Cemetery.
