Francoline McDonough Czerner

Francoline McDonough Czerner September 13, 1925  September 23, 2017 Francoline Margaret McDonough Czerner was born to Irish immigrant parents in New York City. She was educated in a Catholic girl’s school and then went on to graduate from Hunter College. While at Hunter she met a young woman, a Jewish refugee from Prague whose brother was Richard Rubens Czerner. Francoline and Richard fell in love and when he returned from WWII after serving in the 10th Mountain Division, they married and started a family.Their children, Carl Czerner, Christina Czerner Trafton, Carey Czerner, Curtis Czerner, and Catherine May Czerner all grew up in the community of Los Padilla’s where the Czerners had a small farm and apple orchard on Black Mesa Loop. Francoline went on to get her Master’s Degree in Education from UNM and was a Middle School teacher at McKinley, and later at Taylor Junior High School until her retirement. She was an avid student of history and was a Senior Jeopardy Champion winner. When she retired from teaching she became a volunteer answering the domestic violence hot line at the Sheriff’s Department and was also an advocate for mental health issues. She served on the Board of Directors for NAMI, the National Association for the Mentally Ill. She never lost her interest in learning and continued to read copious amounts of material until her death. She was preceded in death by her beloved Richard and by her brother Alfred McDonough of Long Island, New York. Two of her children also preceded her in death: her much loved son Carey and her beloved daughter Catherine.  Her son Curtis with whom she lost contact was dearly loved and thought of often. She is survived by her son Carl Czerner and Mary Lou Garcia Czerner of Seal Beach California and their daughters, Maria Sarah Czerner Rowell and her husband Lukas Rowell, Jean Frances Czerner Rodway and her wife Ali Rodway and Nicole Louise Czerner Garcia.  She is also survived by her daughter Christina Maya Czerner Trafton and Curtis Trafton of Corrales New Mexico and their daughters Alea Nachari Trafton and her husband Michael Holley, and Tara Maya Trafton.  She adored and respected all of her granddaughters and their many accomplishments. She came to know four great grandchildren Gabriel and Landon Rowell, and Zara and Rowan Holley. Francoline re-established and maintained a wonderful rapport with her family in Ireland who she visited often and who also visited here in New Mexico. She established a conduit back to the past with Ireland and into the future for the living generations. Her dear cousins Anne and Frank Joyce spent hours with her enriching her knowledge of her home ancestry and her clan and imbibing a “bit of the creature.”  She delighted in Dublin with cousins Marie and Kenneth Whelan who always extended a queen’s welcome to Francoline and all Francoline’s family. Francoline also adored all of her Middle School students and when she ran into them around town she would recall their names and their friends who had been in the same classes with them. An unusual mind indeed, she had a great zeal for learning and a great joy of life.Her life will be celebrated in a service at Daniels Funeral Home on Sara Road in Rio Rancho on the Saturday the 21st day of October at 10.30 am. She will be buried in a private ceremony at the National Cemetery in Santa Fe with her beloved Richard and her son Carey. Vaya con Dios Francoline.  We will miss you.