Francine (Pyle) Conway

Francine Pyle Conway was born January 9, 1948 at Nix Hospital in San Antonio, Texas to James Burtney Pyle (“Pop”) and Lula Frances Irby. She was raised primarily by her grandparents as well as her Aunt Sarah and Uncle Wayne (Saunders). She attended West Phoenix High School, where she graduated in 1965.

She was baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints on July 20th, 1968. She attended college at Phoenix College and received her associates degree in 1970. She began attending BYU that year, where she met a newly-returned missionary, Dayton Edward Conway. They were married and sealed in the Mesa, Arizona temple on January 23, 1971 for time and all eternity.

She soon after became an Air Force wife, moving to places including Texas, California, Arkansas, Panama, New Mexico, Alaska, South Carolina, and Colorado. She made friends and served others in each location. She was a diligent disciple of Christ. She was always serving those around her in her family, Ward, and neighborhood. She was humble, kind, and valiant, and always tried to live every doctrine and principle she was taught that was good.

From 2017-2018, she had the joy of being able to serve a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Columbia, South Carolina, and was paired with Sister Elna Jones. She was also able to travel to Germany, Luxembourg, France, Italy, Austria, Switzerland and Holland with her children in May of 2022.

She passed away in her home in Sierra Vista, AZ on April 4, 2024 surrounded by her children. She leaves a legacy of 20 grandchildren and ten great-grandchildren, and is survived by six of her children and their families: Emily Szymanski (Shawn), Lorraine Lee (David), Katie Riggs, Daniel Conway-Dickson, James Conway, and Charlotte Kear (Thomas). She is also survived by her adopted brothers, Wesley Saunders and Gary Saunders, and her adopted sister, Nan Cowley. All those in her life will mourn her loss greatly.

Her life was full of both joy and pain. She managed the joy with quiet satisfaction and twinkling eyes and the pain with dogged determination and grace. Hers was a life truly dedicated to the Lord and her family. She had love for all around her. She was practical, tenacious, faithful, fun-loving, and kind. She could always be relied on for a listening ear and a generous offer of her time and any resources she could spare. We have no doubt she is being embraced in the arms of Christ, who is whispering to her, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant.”

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