Francis “Fran” Bender of Manitowoc, WI, died March 27th, 2024, at the age of 76, after a brief battle with pancreatic cancer. He is survived by his wife, Patti Papez of Two Rivers; his mother, Connie Bender of Newton; his sister, Lora Eisner of Manitowoc; two sons, Shawn Bender of Francis Creek; Chad Bender of Manitowoc, and two daughters, Stefani Bender-Przybylski of Denver, CO, and Cheyenne Junk of Manitowoc; five granddaughters and three grandsons. He was preceded in death by his father, Ralph Bender; his sister Linda Flores; and two grandsons.
Fran was prominent in the Manitowoc autobody industry, running his autobody shop, Paint By Fran and later he and his wife Patti purchased the Waverly Inn out of Two Rivers which they ran for many years. He was an extremely creative soul who enjoyed collecting antiques, customizing vehicles, and in his later years, hand crafting bird houses.
A celebration of life will be held in the summer months to honor Fran’s unfulfilled wish to see the warmer weather.
