Welcome to the
memorial page for
Frances L. Brockington
February 9, 1937
~January 25, 2025
OBITUARY
SERVICE DETAILS
Frances Lois Brockington, RN, BSN, APN
Missionary Nurse
Frances Lois Brockington was born on Tuesday, February 9, 1937, the fourth child of the 3rd pregnancy to the late Franklin and Louise (nee McCown) Brockington in Elizabeth NJ. A surprise at the time, she was born 5 minutes after her identical twin sister, the late Augusta Louise (nee Brockington) Roper. As “Mother” told it, “I was ready to get off the table and go home, but the doctor said ‘hold on, there’s another one.’ Gusta came out quiet and Frances came out fussing.”
And fussing to change the world she did
As a child, she and her family regularly attended AME and Methodist Episcopal Reformed churches where their parents served. Upon the untimely death of their father in 1952, Frances along with her twin sister, Augusta began an in-depth study of The Holy Bible. She accepted Jesus Christ as her Lord & Savior during her teenage years and began to assist in Sunday School teaching as a young adult at the St. John MER church in Elizabeth, NJ under the leadership of Rev. Benjamin Jackson.
Frances was educated in the Elizabeth Public School system. Upon graduating from Battin Senior Girls’ High in 1955, she pursued and obtained her nursing license from the Lincoln School for Nursing in the Bronx, NY. After working as a pediatric nurse in New York, she became the head nurse for the United States Public Health Service and was stationed in Alaska. Desiring more education, she applied and was accepted to the highly acclaimed IVY League college, The University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia where she obtained her baccalaureate degree in nursing in 1967.
Frances rededicated her life to the Lord in 1968 and began to hear a call for the mission field. She began teaching Sunday School at the Godwill Mission while obtaining knowledge about foreign missions. She became a member of the Billy Graham Crusade Choir and performed in NYC in 1968-69. Frances joined Linden Assembly of God in 1970 under the late Rev. Irvin Hopkins. She obeyed the Lord’s call to foreign missions and served on the mission field in Afghanistan as the chief nurse from 1972 to 1974. Upon return, she began to work for the Newark Board of Education as a school nurse. Frances served her church as a Sunday School teacher, VBS teacher, Missionettes Instructor, Mailbox Bible School teacher and Board of Trustees member.
Knowing that 3rd World Countries allowed more evangelism access if one could offer medical services, she enrolled in the Nurse Practitioner Program at Seton Hall University and graduated in 1980. Once again, yielding to His call for the mission field, Frances joined the Uganda Team of Calvary Gospel Church in Newark. She and the team traveled to Uganda in 1990 and in 1993 to provide medical assistance while spreading the news of Jesus Christ.
In 2003, Frances moved to Whiting Village 7 and joined the Whiting Assembly of God church under the late Pastor Donald Veater. She actively participated in the Prayer and Bible Study groups, taught and sang on the choir. After her twin sister’s transition to Glory in 2013, Frances immersed herself more in His Word and taught Children’s Church until she became ill in 2024.
Throughout her illness in 2024, Frances spoke of God’s Grace, Faithfulness and desire to “Go On to Glory.” Frances was called from labor to reward on the morning of January 25, 2025.
During her lifetime, she has donated tens of thousands to Christian Missions throughout the world, assisted in the finances of a Ugandan girl and while most recently hospitalized, she wrote her last missions check to her Godson Rev. Lee’s school in Liberia. Consideration is being made in naming a room of the school and a scholarship after The Twin Nurses.
Frances is pre-deceased by her parents, Franklin & Louise, her brother Ernest, sister Lauretta (Jackson), twin sister Augusta (Roper), brother Franklin Brockington and Godson Ricardo Brockington.
She is survived by her sister Sara (nee Brockington) Bost, Brother-in-Law Lee Roper Sr, Sister-in-Law Ruby Brockington, God-children Rev. Lee Roper Jr, Dr. Brian Roper Sr, Sybil Bost and Christian Jackson. Having no biological children of her own, she was the 2nd mother to all of her nephews and nieces
(Children of brother Ernest Sr)- Ernest, Ernestina
(Children of sister Lauretta) – Steven, Karen, Richard Jr, Dineen, Lisa, Dawn, Laurence, Lauretta, Joseph,
(Children of twin Augusta) – Rev. Lee Jr, Dr. Brian Sr, Kimberly
(Children of brother Franklin) – Patricia, Vivian, Cornell
(Children of sister Sara) – Nina, Sybil
In addition, she is survived by 48 grand (nephews & nieces), 59 great grand (nephews & nieces), 15.25 great great grand (nephews & nieces), many cousins and a plethora of adopted families in Afghanistan and Uganda.
Proverbs 31:28 – Her children will rise up and call her Blessed*******
Francis and her sister were very good to my mother when she was here with illness. She was a bright light to many in Whiting and will be missed. She will rest in peace now that she is home with her loved ones.