Raymond Francis, 86, died in his Chesapeake home on January 24, 2025 with his faithful dog, “Rudder”, by his side. Mr. Francis was a native of New Jersey and lived in Chesapeake, VA and Columbus, Ohio.
Mr. Francis was the owner of Tidewater Prosthetic Center in Norfolk, VA where he worked for more than 30 years. He also worked as the Chief Prosthetist for The Ohio Willow Wood Company in Mt Sterling, Ohio after his retirement from Tidewater.
His dedication to helping amputees regain complete mobility was well known, particularly within the military community where he specialized in helping our nation’s most elite warriors return to service. He contributed innovative ideas to the prosthetics industry and frequently provided free care for wounded warriors, much like his father, William Francis, did in World War II for wounded soldiers.
Mr. Francis was equally passionate about general aviation and was a lifetime member of the Civil Air Patrol where he rose to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. He served with great dedication to both the Virginia Wing and Ohio Wing holding command and staff positions at the squadron, group, and wing levels. He was a command and check pilot, incident commander, aircraft maintenance officer, safety officer and served as a flight instructor for countless cadet student pilots over his more than 50 years of membership.
He was the recipient of numerous awards and decorations, including being presented the FAA Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award in 2018. This award recognizes pilots who have conducted 50 or more years of safe flight operations.
Known as a demanding instructor, hundreds of people learned to fly with him as their teacher and he never charged for his services.
He is survived by countless friends, patients, students, and colleagues in the medical community, the armed forces and the flying community. His dedication to his friends was unmatched and he leaves an enormous hole for all who loved him.
A memorial service will be held at 3 pm on February 15, 2025 at Altmeyer Funeral Home in Virginia Beach and a funeral mass will be held at 11:30 am on March 1, 2025 at St. Cecilia Catholic Church in Columbus, Ohio.
In his memory, please be generous with your friends, love innocent animals and fly safely.
