Frances "Fran" Holekamp Boardman, 79, of Breckenridge, Colorado and Scottsdale, Arizona, died on June 20, 2026 at Hospice of the Valley in Scottsdale, with her husband at her side. 
Fran was born on July 23, 1946 in Dover, Ohio to James and Phyllis Holekamp. She grew up in Sylacauga, Alabama and Atlanta, Georgia before earning her degree in Elementary Education at Muskingum College (now University), New Concord, Ohio in 1968.

While at Muskingum, Fran met and fell in love with Robert "Bob" Boardman. They married in 1969 and shared a wonderful life together, as spouses and best friends, for 57 years.

As newlyweds in Akron, Ohio, Fran was a new 2nd Grade teacher in Richfield and Bob was a new law student in Cleveland. After living and working in Akron for a few years, career moves took them to Denver, where son Shelby was born, and then to Chicago. Throughout their moves, one place captured their hearts: Breckenridge, Colorado. While living in Littleton, CO and thereafter in Hinsdale, IL, they spent weekends and vacations with their growing family hiking, climbing, camping, backpacking, skiing, snowshoeing and, for Fran, spending time in her beloved alpine garden. This love of Breckenridge and the Colorado mountains continues in the Boardman family.

While Fran's teaching career lasted only 7 years, she always considered herself to be a teacher. Her continuing involvement with young people was a lifetime passion. She would be on the floor with the little ones playing their games, creating new ones, reading to them or listening to them read to her. She also had a knack with older kids that started with kindness, being a good listener and encouraging, rather than critisizing. A message, delivered to Fran by one of those kids shortly before her death captures her essence, saying, in part "There are people who welcome you through the front door and those who quietly open the door to their heart and never close it again--you are one of those."

Fran is survived by her husband Bob; their son Shelby (Ashley); grandsons, Everett and Jacob; brothers James (Mary Jo), of Wheaton, IL and Arthur (Diane), of Spring City, TN. She was preceded in death by her parents, her brother Harry and his wife Lynda, of Nicholasville, KY.