Many Villagers were in shock in March 2009 when they learned that popular Sumter County Commissioner Mike Francis had died after battling a serious illness.
Francis had served as a county commissioner since 2004, having become one of the first two Villagers – Dick Hoffman was the other one – to be elected to the Sumter County governing board. In those days the commission was known for taking stands against The Villages, so Francis and Hoffman went into office knowing that they would face many challenges.
Francis’ foray into the Sumter County Commission wasn’t his first into politics. The former corporate personnel director had spent three years serving on the Lady Lake Town Commission before moving to Sumter County. And he finished out his last term as mayor – a role he seemed to enjoy and one that many residents were glad to see him take.
Francis, whose wife, Pat, and daughter, Community Development District 11 Supervisor Patty Hoxie, still live in The Villages, was first encouraged to run for the Lady Lake Town Commission by his neighbor, Hugh Gibson, who was stepping down as mayor to run for the state House seat in District 42. Francis agreed to run and once elected, he often found himself on the wrong side of 4-1 votes – especially when Villages issues were involved.
In those days, Francis often was called the voice of reason on the Lady Lake Commission. In fact, Villages lore has it that he sometimes got quite frustrated while trying hard to represent his Villages constituents on a commission that largely wasn’t a big fan of Florida’s Friendliest Hometown.
It was a well-known fact that those commissioners – like the ones Francis would sit across from later in Sumter County – feared seeing The Villages grow. They believed they eventually would lose control and some thought Francis was nothing more than a puppet for The Villages Developer, though those who knew him well quickly would dispute those claims.
In September 2003, Francis announced that he wouldn’t seek a third term on the Lady Lake Commission. At the time he told reporters from several publications that he was ready to enjoy his retirement a little more and it was simply time to walk away from the seat he been elected to fill after Gibson resigned from the commission.
Francis also said he wouldn’t rule out running for elected office again in the future, though he made no mention of a planned move to Sumter County. He said he was proud of playing a part in lowering taxes in Lady Lake and bringing a new Villages Public Safety Department fire station to the community. And he vowed to spend time with his wife traveling and playing more than his fair share of golf.
Six months later – just one month after relocating to the Sumter County portion of The Villages – Francis made the announcement that he intended to run for county commission. He hoped to become one of the first Villagers to serve on the governing body. And he told residents that if elected, he’d work to maintain The Villages lifestyle, improve county services and take a hard look at how tax dollars were being spent.
Once Francis and Hoffman were elected, it wasn’t unusual to see them in clashes with the other commissioners. In fact, Francis’ battles with anti-Villages Commissioner Jim Roberts, a South Sumter High School teacher, were quite contentious and somewhat legendary – especially when growth involving Florida’s Friendliest Hometown was on the agenda.
Those who knew Francis will recall that he always had a smile on his face and a kind word for those he was speaking with. He was an avid softball and pickleball player and often could be found hanging out with his buddies at the Panera Bread in Spanish Springs Town Square after a rigorous morning of exercise. And to say he looked like the epitome of health before suffering the non-disclosed disease would be an understatement.
Ten years after his death, longtime Villagers still speak fondly of Francis and many wonder what he could have accomplished if he’d been able to serve multiple terms on the Sumter County Commission.
There’s no doubt that he and Hoffman paved the way for Villagers who followed in their footsteps on the commission. And they took representing their community quite seriously, even though they often found themselves losing 3-2 votes more often than they would have liked.
After her husband’s death, Pat Francis continued to remain active in the community. A breast cancer survivor, she’s spent countless hours giving her time to multiple charities and has been known as an ambassador for the community, much like her late husband was.
Pat Francis recently ran for an open seat on Community Development District 6 but lost handily to Andrew Curtis. In that race, Francis had made headlines when she collected $2,000 in contributions from The Villages Developer, who didn’t contribute to any other CDD campaigns. The longtime Republican spent the majority of those contributions with the Developer-owned Daily Sun newspaper before losing to Curtis, who also serves as a board member on the Property Owners Association.
