A long time companion, Mr. Dick Francis, died on Valentine's Day in his home on the Cayman Islands. No cause of death was reported, however, Mr. Francis was treated for prostate cancer in the 1990's. He was 89.
Mr. Francis was a champion steeplechase jockey. His patrons included the British royal family. He was mounted on the Queen Mother's horse, Devon Lock in the 1956 Grand National, and was in first place within striking distance of the finish line when the horse collapsed inexplicably beneath him. The horse suffered no injuries, and the cause of the fall was not determined.
I never met Mr. Francis. I did, however, read nearly all of his 42 mysteries. The protagonists, many of whom (especially early in his writing career) were jump jocks themselves, frequently endured unspeakable torture with the stoic British stiff upper lip, and always got the bad guy as well as the girl. Formulaic? Yes. Vastly entertaining and diverting? Absolutely.
His wife Mary, who died in 2000, was allegedly the unacknowledged research expert upon whom he depended to write his earlier books. He took a hiatus from writing for several years after her death, but co-authored books with his son Felix in recent years.
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