Wilson Guy Francis, 94, of Boothbay, died March 6, 2014.

He was born April 4, 1919 in the small town of Corea, son of Guy Francis and Mara (Crowley) Francis, and attended school in a one-room schoolhouse in Winter Harbor for nine years. After one year at Winter Harbor High School, he transferred to Higgins Classical Institute in Charleston.

At Higgins, he began a stellar career as a baseball pitcher. "Lefty" Francis continued his baseball career in the old Tri-County League, pitching for Dover-Foxcroft Sebec Lakers. He went on to play semi-pro baseball in the Virginia State League for Harrisonburg in 1940. In March of 1941, Wilson was drafted into the U.S. Army and stationed at Fort Benning, Ga. There he continued his athletic career, leading his company basketball team to a championship and pitching for the Fort Benning Doughboys. During the first season, he went 25-4, pitched two no-hitters and struck out 21 and 22 batters in two separate games. He was named Fort Benning Athlete of the Year in 1941.

In December of 1942, he was accepted into Officers Candidate School and at graduation, he was commissioned as a second lieutenant.

On July 4, 1943, Wilson and Jane Blood of Dover-Foxcroft were married at Fort Benning.

In September of 1943, Wilson was signed to a contract to the Cincinnati Redlegs, but because of threats of war, his major league career had to wait.

In March of 1944, his unit was shipped to England and three months later, he and his unit were headed to Normandy, France. While on a patrol through a small French village, Wilson was struck in the left leg by machine gun fire. Doctors wanted to amputate his leg because of the bad wound, but Wilson refused and, after much therapy, he recovered. He spent most of the rest of his war years duty in a V.A. hospital. Wilson was discharged from the Army in 1945.

His promising major league baseball career cut short, Wilson returned to Maine and continued to play semi-pro baseball. Because he had to forfeit his contract with the Reds, they awarded him with a lifetime pass to any major or minor league baseball game.

Wilson became a self-employed lobster fisherman in Prospect Harbor after the war. In 1960-61, Wilson, his father and son built the lobster pound at Hodgdon Island. After selling the lobster pound in 1965, Wilson eventually bought it back in 1973 after it had changed hands a second time.

His baseball career was topped off, when on December 5, 1976, he was inducted into the Maine Baseball Hall of Fame.

In 1984, he semi-retired but continued lobstering from his boat, the Jane F.

He was a member of Masonic Lodge #192 in Winter Harbor.

He was predeceased by his wife, Jane, in 2013, and an older sister, Doris.

He is survived by his sister, Leona Coombs of Orono; brother, Arnold Francis of Steuben; children, Steve and his wife Laura Francis of Boothbay Harbor; Susan and her husband Randy Tardiff of Lisbon; grandchildren, Adam Francis and his wife Morgan of Arlington, Va., Avery Francis Chamness and her husband Jason of Boothbay, Johnathan Bear and his fiancée Dawn Thorndike of Orr's Island, and Christopher Johnson and his wife Rebeccah of Oklahoma City, Okla.; great-grandchildren, Jordan Chamness, Christian and Aaliyah Johnson and Emily Bear.

In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to the Boothbay Region Fishermen's Memorial Fund, P.O. Box 304, Boothbay Harbor, ME 04538.

A May 3, 2014 memorial reception is planned. Complete details at a later date.

Jane (Blood) Francis

Jane (Blood) Francis, 91, of Boothbay died August 5, 2013.

She was born September 12, 1921 in Dover-Foxcroft, the daughter of Virgel Charles Blood and Ola (Fairbanks) Blood.

She attended Dover-Foxcroft schools and married Wilson Guy Francis on July 4, 1943. After World War II, she and Francis lived in the Corea/Prospect Harbor area, where she was active in women's groups.

After Jane and Wilson relocated to the Boothbay region in 1960, she taught piano and was active as a soloist with the Congregational Church choir.

She enjoyed time at home playing the piano and organ. During several winters, she and Wilson lived in Pinellas Park, Fla.

She is survived by a brother, Harold V. Blood of Farmington; her husband of 70 years, Wilson G. Francis (now deceased), her family, Steve and his wife Laura Francis of Boothbay Harbor, Susan and her husband Randy Tardiff of Lisbon; grandchildren, Adam Francis and his wife Morgan of Arlington, Va., Avery Francis Chamness and her husband Jason of Boothbay, Johnathan Bear and his fiancee Dawn Thorndike of Orr's Island, and Christopher Johnson and his wife Rebeccah of Oklahoma City, Okla.; great-grandchildren, Jordan Chamness, Christian and Aaliyah Johnson and Emily Bear.

In lieu of flowers, please make donations to: Boothbay Region Community Resources, 185 Townsend Ave., Suite N, Boothbay Harbor, ME 04538; or Boothbay Region Fishermen's Memorial Fund, P.O. Box 304, Boothbay Harbor, ME 04538.

A May 3, 2014 memorial reception is planned. Complete details at a later date.