University Trustee Keith Francis ’76, a Boston College track legend and a mentor to many BC students and alumni, died July 27 at his New Bedford home after a long illness. He was 56.
Mr. Francis came to BC’s School of Education in 1972 after a brilliant athletic career at New Bedford High School, where he played basketball and ran track, setting numerous school records and attaining All-America honors. His string of achievements continued at the Heights, as he set school records in seven different events, earning All-America recognition and a ranking as the No. 2 half-miler in the nation. He represented the United States in international meets against the Soviet Union and China and competed in the 1976 US Olympic Trials.
But Mr. Francis went on to excel in an even more important area, says Career Center Associate Director Janet Costa Bates: reaching out to BC students and alumni.
“Keith didn’t have any qualifications for you to be a friend of his,” said Bates, who became acquainted with Mr. Francis while growing up in New Bedford. “He had a talent for bringing people together, for connecting people to opportunities or to each other. That is his greatest legacy.
“In fact, I got my first summer job in college as a result of my connection with Keith, and I’ve been in higher education ever since.” Mr. Francis, who held a master’s degree from Boston University, worked as a superior court probation officer in Washington, DC, then became an agent with the Drug Enforcement Administration before serving as a senior intelligence analyst for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms.
“If I sent a student to Keith, he would always lend a helping hand,” said Bates. “When he spoke to students on campus, he’d say, ‘If you want a job in government, I should be your first contact.’ He was always willing to make a phone call, walk a resume over, just do whatever he could to open the door for a young person.”
In 2008, Mr. Francis chaired planning efforts for Reconnect, the first-ever AHANA reunion. The event, he said, was designed to reconnect AHANA alumni to the University to encourage them to become active in local Alumni Association chapters. Reconnect, which took place in July of 2009, was the largest gathering of AHANA alumni in BC history, drawing more than 600 alumni, family and friends.
Mr. Francis was inducted into the BC Varsity Club Hall of Fame in 1981.
He is survived by his companion, Gail Oliveira; his daughters Nichelle Santos, Karly Francis — who graduated from BC in 2010 (Mr. Francis presented her with her diploma at Commencement) and is currently enrolled in the Graduate School of Social Work — and Tiara Louise Francis; step-brothers Kenneth Ramos and Jaime Ramos; and step-sisters Adele Ramos and Mary Lyn Ramos. He was the son of the late Louise A. (Monteiro) Ramos, step-son of the late Joseph Ramos and brother of the late Kenneth Francis.