Shadowboxes

Donald “Bubba” Jacob Francis didn’t like being called anything except Bubba. He was the baby of the family, the youngest of 5. He suffered from a rare genetic disease called Niemann Pick type C which is ALWAYS fatal. Most survive until their late teens or early twenties. We were blessed with 26 years with this wonderful boy. I say boy because he was very childlike. Niemann Pick is also known as childhood Alzheimer’s, so Bub believed he was 14.

Hannah Montana was his absolute favorite movie with “The Climb” being his favorite song of hers. Even if he wasn’t feeling well, Hannah could cheer him up. He loved music, singing and dancing.

Captain America was by far his favorite superhero. He would watch all the Marvel movies with Captain America over and over. He even got a few phone calls from Captain America which always cheered him up.

Bub was fascinated with magic, and Harry Potter was among his favorite characters. He would sit in his robe and wave his magic wand, saying, “Ridiculous,” trying to turn us all into some weird character.

Bobaflex was his favorite rock band. His favorite song was “Chemical Valley.” Bobaflex was a local band that toured all over, and they would sometimes stop and see their biggest fan, Bubba.

Bub’s fascination with movies and music was overzealous, and it’s what made him happiest other than when his 4 sisters would visit.

He was a cornea donor that helped 2 men gain sight. He also donated soft tissue.

January 21, 1997 – March 4, 2023