Fran was born on September 30, 1951 in Philadelphia. She was the oldest of four girls, and gained a bonus sister from France who joined the family in high school. Her childhood was filled with academic pursuits, summers with family and friends down the shore in New Jersey, and time spent working on a kibbutz in Israel. Throughout her life, Fran always stood up for what she believed in and put her trust in science. She was guided by her passion for providing unconditional support and care while fostering a welcoming and inclusive environment for all.

She was insurmountably intellectual and highly accredited, though you would never catch her boasting or bragging. She avidly collected medical articles, even ones dating back to before she was born because she was extremely determined to master and further understand trends in the healthcare field. She graduated from Swarthmore College with highest level honors and went on to graduate from University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, cum laude. She did her postgraduate medical internship, residency, and fellowship in hematology and oncology at the world-renowned University of Pennsylvania. There, she also served as Chief Medical Resident—the second woman ever to hold this position in 250 years! Fran was also an associate professor at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, where she won many prestigious teaching awards and became a founding member and head of the oncology division at Penn Medicine Radnor. 

In 2000, Fran decided to leave the East Coast and head out West, more specifically, to Boulder, Colorado. This cross-country move was inspired by the time she spent working and doing research on a Navajo Reservation in Arizona, falling in love with the landscapes. Shortly thereafter, she added a new member to the family, her beloved dog Merlin, who quickly became a major focus in her life for the next ten years; Fran fully embraced the role of “dog person."

She continued her professional life in Colorado as a board certified medical oncologist and internist. In addition to standard clinical practice, she built expertise while generating new scientific discoveries on the impact of fitness in both preventative and prognoses related cancer data, and gave many lectures on her integrative oncology findings. She pioneered a new field of cancer and exercise research and authored a book called, The Force Program, which was published in 2001. She was a member of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, American Medical Athletic Association, and the American College of Sports Medicine.

 Dr. Mason worked for Rocky Mountain Cancer Center Boulder from 2000-2005. She helped develop the Boulder Center for Cancer Survivorship. While Boulder was always her home base, working with the medically underserved was her passion; she spent several years practicing in medically remote areas, including Alaska and Northern Idaho. She was the medical advisor of the nonprofit Live by Living which sponsors outdoor fitness activities, retreats, and volunteer opportunities for cancer survivors and caretakers. Finally, she had a hematology oncology practice at Heart of the Rockies Regional Medical Center in Salida, Colorado for six years before she retired in January 2020. However, Fran never fully "retired" from medicine, as she was always one phone call away from helping anyone in need with her medical knowledge and expertise.

As if Fran was not busy enough in her professional life, she was also an accomplished athlete and outdoors woman. In 2002, she had the honor of running the Winter Olympic torch for the Salt Lake City Olympics as it passed through Fort Collins, Colorado. This was such a cherished memory of hers. She completed at least 40 marathons and ultramarathons, as well as, many running races and triathlons of shorter distance. She even owned a donkey named Jefferson with whom she participated in races called, Get Your Ass Over The Pass. She wanted to be involved in every type of tradition, and nothing could stop her once she set her mind on something. She summited 28 of Colorado’s 14,000 foot mountains and hiked just about every trail possible. She trekked to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro, Everest base camp, throughout Patagonia, the Canadian Rockies, the Inca trail to Machu Picchu, National Parks, and hiked the Grand Canyon Rim 2 Rim 2 Rim 11 times. All of these activities brought Franny so much joy especially because she was able to do them with many close friends.

Fran loved birds, butterflies, and animal sightings. She worked with the Parks and Recreation Department of Boulder to count butterflies and follow their migration throughout various migratory sections. She visited Mexico and Santa Cruz, California to understand the Monarch migratory pattern. She continually allowed herself time to pause and appreciate the natural world, fascinated by her surroundings. 

In August 2012, Fran brought home a new four-legged companion named Wyn. He was Fran’s 60-pound lap dog, wake up call in the middle of the night (when he was ready to get underneath the covers), best hiking buddy, source of endless laughter, and the light in her life which brightened her day. Fran and Wyn attended many dog focused events, participated in a canine cancer vaccine research trial at Colorado State University, hunt tests, dog shows, sniffer training, and the most rewarding of all, therapy dog volunteering. They volunteered with the Canine Corps of Boulder, visiting hospitals, college campuses, and a community outreach center called Boulder Strong. Fran was the first volunteer to propose and implement the idea of taking a therapy dog into the psychiatric ward at the hospital which she knew would create an impact. She really led the push while advocating therapy dog access for all.

By now you are probably wondering, “What didn’t Fran do?” In addition to her aforementioned accomplishments, she was an incredibly dedicated and loving Mother and Grandmother. She never forgot her first priority as "Mom" or "Mom Mom" before any other endeavor. She constantly reminded her children how proud she was of them while simultaneously instilling valuable character traits they will carry on forever. She traveled the world, loved reading and listening to books, grew plants taller than buildings, harvested more zucchini and tomatoes than she could ever eat in her giant garden, held weekly yoga and potluck dinners in her living room, baked and gifted an insane amount of breads and jams, enjoyed music and attending concerts, camped underneath clear starry nights, knew every NPR station by heart, achieved Spelling Bee genius level more times than not, never missed a Wordle, always shared a laugh, and much more.

Fran squeezed in at least three lifetimes into her 71 years.

She wholeheartedly lived life with the gate wide open and always had a surplus of her staple items within close reach (hard candies, pretzels, bagels, and coffee.)

She was an idol and inspiration to all, an extraordinary human being who only knew kindness, and truly exemplified the idea: with strength, willpower, and a positive outlook - anything is possible. No one was merely considered a “friend”, "acquaintance", or "patient" to her, she took a family approach towards everyone and never met a stranger. May her legacy be memorialized indefinitely. 

Fran is survived by her three children; Aryn, Ethan, and Sara; her grandchildren Brendan, Madeline, Nathan, Atlas, and Gaia; her sisters Melanie, Cynthia, Tina, and Martine; her beloved four-legged companion Mr. Wyn; and countless other individuals who will always be an important part of her life. 

** In lieu of flowers, please consider donations on behalf of Fran to the following organizations**

Live by Living — livebyliving.org

National Wildlife Fund— nwf.org

Alliance of Therapy Dogs— therapydogs.com

Written by Sara Fleegler