Ocean City, Maryland – Beloved aunt, cousin and friend, Frances (Fran) Elizabeth Grafton, age 75, of Ocean City, Maryland, died peacefully at home, on November 25, 2021, surrounded by her family and friends. The world is diminished without her shining light of love and care for so many. Her family and friends cherish memories of her limitless caring and generosity.
Born in Baltimore, she was the daughter of Burlin Alfred and Elizabeth Ceclia (née Hall) Grafton. Fran was predeceased by her parents and her brother, Alfred Burlin Grafton.
Fran was a life-long nurse and care-taker, often commenting she was born to be a nurse. After graduating from Eastern High School in 1964, she completed the Catonsville Community College Registered Nursing program, obtaining her registered nurse’s license in 1973. Fran began her long career as a pediatric nurse with The Johns Hopkins Hospital’s Kennedy Krieger Institute in Baltimore, Maryland. She was devoted to the children she served, continuing to commute to Baltimore for her nursing shifts after she moved to Ocean City, Maryland in 1977. She made the long commute for several years before shifting her focus to support her cousins, Joe and Marie Hall, in their restaurant and hotel businesses in Ocean City. In 1993, she returned to nursing full-time and joined Atlantic General Hospital in Berlin, Maryland as a pediatric nurse in their outpatient clinic. She retired from Atlantic General in late 2012, after 20 years of service and touching many lives.
Fran, true to her word, never truly retired nor slowed down. After leaving Atlantic General, she partnered in 2013 with Drs. Melissa and Glenn Arzadon to establish Arzadon Family Medicine in Ocean Pines, Maryland. She also continued to support the Hall family businesses until the closure of Hall’s Restaurant in 2016.
Fran was well-known and well-loved in the community. Wherever she went, she would recognize a child she once treated and immunized, a family for whom she cared, a former Hall’s employee or someone whose life she touched with her generosity of spirit and caring.
Fran loved all things Disney, Ocean City, and Coca-Cola. She will be fondly remembered for her Coca-Cola kitchen, her Hummel, and Disney collections. The Ocean City scenes in her front bay window were marveled at and enjoyed by friends and tourists alike.
Fran leaves her cherished nephews, Darryl (Debra) Grafton of Fenwick Island, Delaware, David (Karla) Grafton of Hartford, Connecticut, her beloved cousin Catherine (Tony) Hall Devereaux and their daughter, Lilly of Ocean Pines, Maryland, cousin Jeanne (Henry) Hall Conley of Solomons, Maryland, cousin Len (Linda) Hall of Ocean Pines, Maryland, her dearest friend of 70 years, since kindergarten, Nancy Mendez of Ocean Pines, Maryland and her closest family friends, the Oberdorfer family of Minneapolis, Minnesota. She also leaves her great-nephews and great-niece, as well as numerous other family and friends, too many to name.
In lieu of services or flowers, donations may be made in Fran’s memory to Coastal Hospice, Ocean City Volunteer Fire Company, or The Cricket Center of Worcester County.
The Grafton and Hall families are deeply appreciative of and thankful to the many family and friends who banded together to ease Fran’s final days. The families extend a special thank you to the teams of caregivers at Tidal Health and Coastal Hospice.
Sending love and comfort to all of Fran’s family and friends. I have very fond memories of her and always felt so comfortable when we visited our OC family.