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Francois Leon "Frank" Bellavance

Obituaries | The Tube City Almanac | July 29, 2019

Francois “Frank” Leon Bellavance, 89 of Elizabeth, formerly of Clairton, died July 27th, 2019. Coming from the small town of East Hardwick, Vermont, he became a legend in his own time.

Our “King of The Road” drove for over 59 years with NO chargeable accidents. He spent 46 of those years driving for the family business, A. Bellavance & Sons and finished the remaining 13 with Cheswick, Pa based trucking company, Perlistein. He was honored as a “top driver” numerous times for his impressive driving record, averaging 100,000 miles a year.

Frank was known far and wide as a dedicated family man. He adored his wife Joan and enjoyed taking her out to breakfast every morning. They were usually hand in hand wherever they went, often in coordinating outfits. They were very proud of raising 5 children together and watching their family grow...and grow...and grow. All together they have 12 grandchildren, 15 great grandchildren with number 16 on the way. He loved everyone as an individual and lived to teach each one something from his life. His wife Joan said that God sent him to her and gave her the greatest life any woman could have.

Frank lived with God and admired 3 men in his life - his father Aime Bellavance, John Wayne and Donald Trump. Raised in a large, spirited family, Pittsburgh and New England Trucking company (PNE) referred to him and his 7 brothers as the “New England Shit Stompers”. From a country farm boy to our Tarzan and hero; he was and is the family rock.

In addition to his wife, Joan S. (Gash), Frank is survived by children; Michael (Andrea)
of Clairton, Cynthia Schlessinger of Elizabeth, Julianne (Richard)
Cochran of North Versailles, Scott (Lorrie) of New Eagle and Tammy
(Walter) Whiteman of Carroll Township; grandchildren, Eric, Nicole,
Christopher, Stacey, Max, Tiffany, Daniel, Sydney, Jacob, Tabitha, Brianna,
Scott, Jr. and Chantelle; 15 great-grandchildren; siblings, Albert of
Hardwick, VT, Alice Wheeler of Gloucester, MA, Beatrice Lussier of St.
Albans, VT and Doris Dufresne of Marshfield, VT; also many nieces and
nephews.

He was also preceded in death by; parents Aime and Beatrice(Godbout), siblings; Therese Dufresne, Alphonse, Jeanne Dufresne, Art, Joseph, Paul, Leon, Laurent and Gertrude Neal; son-in-law, David Schlessinger.

Family and friends will be received at Willig Funeral Home & Crematory
on Tuesday, July 30, 2019, from 7 to 9 p.m. and Wednesday, from 2 to 4
p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m., with the Parastas service at 7 p.m. On Thursday ,the
Panachyda service will be held at 9 a.m., in the funeral home chapel.
Funeral Liturgy will follow, 10 a.m., at Ascension of Our Lord Byzantine
Catholic Church. Fr. Ivan Mina, Ph.D., will officiate. Burial will
follow in Round Hill Cemetery.
Condolences and memories may be shared at
www.willigfuneralcremationservices.com

Originally published July 29, 2019.

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