Frances Grunow

AVONDALE, Ariz. — Frances Grunow passed away on October 14, 2023 in Avondale, AZ. She was born on March 10, 1944 in Detroit to John and Mary Lewandowski. She would go on to attend and graduate from an all-girls Catholic high school.

After graduation, Fran worked as a waitress when she would meet the love of her life, Richard Grunow, whom she married in 1965. They later opened their own business together and operated Grunow’s Restaurant in Hamtramck, MI.

They started a family together in 1972 with the birth of their son and moved to Lake Linden in 1977. They purchased Lindell Chocolate Shoppe where the couple restored the local landmark and successfully applied to have it designated on the National Register of Historic Places. Fran and Rich were blessed by the arrival of a baby daughter in 1978. They enjoyed a happy and fulfilling life together until Rich’s untimely passing in 1989.

Fran worked tirelessly in subsequent years to provide for her children and send them to college. She sold Lindell’s and retired in 2004. She welcomed a granddaughter in 2014 who brought her immeasurable joy during her final years. She moved to Buckeye, AZ in 2021 to live with her daughter and to be closer to family.

Above all else, Fran was a dedicated, loyal and caring wife, mother and grandmother who always prioritized her family. She possessed an incredible work ethic, a strong will and was unapologetically honest and blunt. Beneath her tough exterior, and despite her notoriously short fuse, Fran’s family and friends will remember her as being extremely generous with a big heart and a playful sense of humor.

Fran was preceded in death by her parents, her husband Richard, and older sisters Joanne and Jeanie.

She is survived by her son, Richard Grunow, daughter-in-law Nancy Poisson and granddaughter Lucy Grunow of San Diego, CA; daughter Dana Grunow of Buckeye, AZ; and special nephew and niece Russell Guastello and Sandy Mathews, and several other nephews, nieces and cousins.

The family extends their heartfelt gratitude to Dr. Tom McConnon for the years of loving care he provided her. The family will hold a private memorial at Mt. Calvary Cemetery in summer 2024. In lieu of flowers, friends are encouraged to make a donation to Boys Town.

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