Sr. Frances “Fran” Lombaer, OP, formerly known as Sr. Virginia Francis Lombaer, died on Monday, July 6, 2026, at the Dominican Life Center in Adrian, Michigan. She was 86 years of age and in the 68th year of her religious profession in the Adrian Dominican Congregation.
Sr. Fran was born in Chicago, Illinois, to Francis and Virginia (Seidensticker) Lombaer. She graduated from Aquinas High School in Chicago and received a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Siena Heights College in Adrian, a Master of Education degree in Elementary Education from Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, Arizona and a Master of Religious Education degree from the University of San Francisco in San Francisco, California.
Sr. Fran ministered for 23 years in elementary and secondary education in Santa Cruz, Oakland, Hollister and San Francisco, California; Las Vegas, Nevada; and Modimong, South Africa. She served four years in parish and administrative ministries in Santa Cruz and San Francisco, California. Also in California, she served as co-provincial/administrator of Holy Cross Province for three years and as a unit secretary at Dominican Hospital, a legacy institution of the Congregation in Santa Cruz, for three years.
In Adrian, Sister served the Congregation on the Portfolio Advisory Board staff for four years; in the Archives Department for seven years, six of those as Congregation Archivist; at Siena Heights University, also a legacy institution, as secretary for the McNair Scholars Program for one-half year; and at the Dominican Life Center Clinic for nine years. In total, Sr. Fran served in Michigan for 21 years.
Sr. Fran was preceded in death by her parents, her brother, Francis “Budd” Lombaer, Jr. and her sister, Kathryn Granahan. Sister is survived by other loving family and her Adrian Dominican Sisters.
Prayers of Committal will be held at 2:30 pm on Tuesday, July 7, 2026, in the Congregation Cemetery. The Vigil Prayer will be held at 7:00 pm on Monday, July 13, 2026, in St. Catherine Chapel. A Memorial Mass will be in St. Catherine Chapel at 10:30 am on Tuesday, July 14, 2026. Memorial gifts may be made to Adrian Dominican Sisters, 1257 East Siena Heights Drive, Adrian, MI, 49221.
Those who are not attending services in person are welcome to participate via live stream at https://adriandominicans.org/Live-Stream.
Funeral arrangements are being handled by Anderson-Marry Funeral Services, Adrian.
Obituaries for clergy and religious who have lived or served in the Archdiocese of Detroit may be emailed to [email protected]. Obituaries are printed as they are submitted, but may be edited for grammar and style. Detroit Catholic reserves the right to refuse or edit any submissions.
