12/21/2020 8:09:35 AM
Francis J. Foley passed away on December 14, 2020 at 9:17 pm at Alton Memorial Hospital.
Born in East St. Louis, IL on May 17, 1924, the son of the late Francis T. and Lucille B. (Gardner) Foley of Fairview Heights, IL.
He married the late Jeanne Fischer on May 4, 1957, at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Alton. She passed away on January 27, 1972.
He attended Holy Angels Grade School in E. St. Louis from 1930- 1938. He then attended Central Catholic High School in E. St. Louis from 1938- 1942, where he played baseball for four years becoming the Team Captain. Football and soccer and participated in the annual boxing tournament for three years. Francis graduated June 7, 1942. During the summers of ’42 and ’43 he played “Muny” Baseball in E. St. Louis. In September on ’42 he enrolled at St. Louis University. Francis served his country during WWII in the Army Air Force, having applied and been accepted into the Pilot Training Program in 1943. After completing his primary basic and advanced flying schools, Francis was commissioned 2 Lt. Pilot at Stockton, CA. He was sent to B-17, Flying Fortress, training at Nellis AFB in Las Vegas, NV. Graduating the same time as Germany’s Surrender, he was kept there and trained to pilot B-24 Liberators. Upon graduation, Francis was sent to B-29, Super Fortress, flying school at Lowery Field in Denver, CO. While in flight training, they dropped the atomic bombs ending the war. Released from active-duty October 6, 1945, during which time he took and passed the Commercial Pilots License from the FAA in Denver. In addition, Francis continued to serve his country in the Air Force Reserve from June 15, 1958 until September 15, 1978 retiring from the 9699