Obituary of Francois Marin

Francois Marin, 87, of Harwich, Mass. passed away on Aug. 9 at Crown Park Nursing Home in Cortland, NY.

Francois was born Sept. 1, 1936 in Lyon, France. He was the youngest of six children born to Spanish immigrants Isabelle and Cristobal Marin. Older siblings Rose, Christophe, Isabel, Michel, and Anna welcomed him home. Francois and his family lived through the Nazi occupation of France during World War II.

After leaving school at age 14, Francois immediately began working full time before spending two years in the French Army and achieving the rank of Sergeant. Francois was always proud of his service and loved to reminisce about his time in uniform.

Francois met Andree Emilienne Martin after he left the French Army, and they were married on July 2, 1960 in Lyon, France. Together, they had three children: Laurent (1961), Christophe (1967), and Veronique (1972). Sadly, Andree passed away from post-pregnancy complications on Feb. 6, 1972. Francois’s three sisters, who had all moved to the United States by then, took care of Veronique while she was an infant. In January 1973, Francois and his two young sons moved to Weymouth, Mass. to join Veronique, as well as his three sisters and their families.

Francois met Kathie Rice several months later and they were married on July 29, 1973. He helped found Au Bon Pain Bakery in Boston, Mass. before accepting a co-founding position with the upstart French Baker in suburban Chicago, Ill. Francois and Kathie, along with Christophe and Veronique, moved to Arlington Heights, Ill. in January 1979. They welcomed son Marc Marin on April 22, 1981.

Francois was recruited to Heinemann’s Bakeries in 1992, and as vice president of the company, he helped their products be sold in hundreds of grocery stores all across the country.

Francois and Kathie built a second home on Cape Cod in Harwich, Mass. in 1999 and spent summers and some holidays there. In 2003, they moved to Harwich full-time and enjoyed having their children and grandchildren visit for countless family outings. Francois and Kathie lived there until Kathie’s death in November 2022. Francois lived most of the rest of his days with his son Christophe in Cortland, N.Y.

Francois brought his love of petanque to Harwich and Cape Cod, as his persistence and dedication led to two petanque courts being built at Brooks Park. His legacy lives on with the residents who still meet regularly to play petanque and socialize.