Millicent Burton Francis

Millicent Burton Francis, born March 20, 1931, in Nephi, Utah, passed away on March 19, 2026. Raised in Salt Lake City by her loving parents, Rhoda Patterson and Shipley Davis Burton, Millie and her sister Jean were taught to love and serve others. Later in life she had the joy of connecting with her half-brother Stan Cheever and his wife Minoo.

After her family moved to Washington, DC, in 1942, Millie graduated from Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School and attended Brigham Young University. There she met her future husband, Jay Francis, who tutored her in an accounting class. They married on September 5, 1952, in the Salt Lake Temple and built a life centered on faith, family, and service.

A devoted member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Millie served in the Primary presidency, taught Relief Society, ministered as a visiting teacher, and together with Jay, ministered for many years at an assisted living center. She also cherished her time with the Mueller Park Daughters of the Utah Pioneers, sharing her pioneer heritage with dear friends.

Millie and Jay shared a lifelong passion for ballroom dancing. They served as ward and stake dance directors, teaching young adults and preparing them for church dance festivals. Their children remember watching them glide across the floor with grace and joy. The couple belonged to several dance clubs, including the University Dance Club, and formed many cherished friendships through their love of dance.

Together they served two missions for the Church, first in the California San Bernardino Mission from 1991 to 1992, where they helped bring 22 people to baptism in the Lucerne Valley, and later in the Pennsylvania Pittsburgh Mission in 2007 under the leadership of their son and daughter-in-law. For more than 25 years, they created lasting memories as members of the Beehive Roamers Good Sam camping group, traveling in their RV, making quilts and knitted hats for Primary Children’s Hospital, the VA hospital, and local care centers.

Millie found great happiness in her friendships and in time spent golfing, crafting, lunching, and especially playing games and cards. She delighted in playing with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, though she was famously competitive and hated to lose. Her family was the center of her world. Even in her later years, the mention of an outing or gathering could instantly revive her energy, earning her the affectionate nickname Energizer Bunny 2.0.

Preceded in death by her beloved husband Jay, her parents Shipley and Rhoda Burton, her sister Jean McCann, and her daughter Cindy Barney, Millie is survived by her children Jay Kent (LeeAnn) Francis, Debbie (Lee) Garner, son-in-law Curtis Barney, Malin (Dana) Francis, David (Brenda) Francis, and Kevin (Jill) Francis. She leaves behind 29 grandchildren and 57 great-grandchildren, who will honor her memory for generations.