Francis Marion Creek

Francis Marion Creek, 51, Carbondale, passed on Thursday, September 1, 2011 at his home. He was born on November 13, 1959 in Charleston, South Carolina to Wesley Hillman and Margaret Charlotte (Morrill) Creek.

Francis was named after the Revolutionary War hero Francis Marion. This caused a number of unfortunate cases of mistaken identity such as when "she" was given a girls tea set at a Navy dependent's Christmas party.

He was the only child with curly hair in our family (they didn't call him frobro for nothing) but those curly locks deserted him very early in life. We used to tease him that the milkman left him on the doorstep but later found out it does run in the Boston side of the family. While he donned the chrome dome early in life he made it up in facial hair with lamb chops in the 80's. Having to learn to be tough like a boy named 'Sue', Francis aka Hulk Hogan would be happy to flex his biceps for you or ask you to punch him in the stomach. He grew up a great athlete in track, football, wrestling and baseball and used his love of sports to coach his daughters' softball teams.

Many weekends he did his best to diminish the population of big mouth bass and deer while riding in Chevy trucks. While he had a tough exterior, his tenderness showed in being a Dad of two beautiful girls from his early marriage to Lori Westerfield.

He was a fun and loving Dad knowing the perfect Saturday breakfast was daylight donuts or Hanover pancake house. He taught his girls to cook and met no meat that he wouldn't grill. Outside being a Dad, he held numerous jobs but he was most proud of being an accomplished cabinetmaker for REO cabinet shop.

Francis enjoyed a large posse of friends who have remained close over the years and together shared many building projects, adventures, and fishing 'tales'.

Linda Burns was by his side the last few years of his life providing her love and support during his 5 year battle with cancer.

Francis is survived by his two daughters, April (Michael) Gleason and their children Brodie, Breylan and Braxton Gleason all of Carbondale and Alison (Randall) Babbitt and their children, Gracelyn and Dalan all of Overbrook; his mother, Margaret Creek Forsythe of Auburn; significant other, Linda Burns, of the home; three brothers, John Wesley Creek of Topeka; James Leroy (Ruthie) Creek of Bluffton, SC and Harley Carson Creek of Kansas City, MO; and one sister Pat (Craig Frank) Creek of Edmond, OK.

A memorial visitation will be held on Tuesday, September 6 at the Penwell-Gabel Southwest Chapel from 6:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. The family suggests expressions of sympathy be in the form of memorials to the Francis Creek Memorial Fund, c/o State Bank of Carbondale, 530 W Main St, Carbondale, KS 66414.