Frances Klamt, Hollywood tutor
Ted
*Thursday, May 29, 2008*
*Frances M. (Klamt) Willis*
Frances M. (Klamt) Willis, 100, passed away on May 23, 2008.
She was born Oct. 27, 1907, to Frances and Augustus Klamt in Los
Angeles, Calif.
Frances always wanted to live to be 100 and she made it.
A graduate of the University of California, Los Angeles, with a
Master's
Degree from the University of Southern California, she began her
career
as a substitute teacher.
As opportunity to work as a personal tutor arose, Frances spent the
next
seven years teaching Shirley Temple. Following this she was appointed
school teacher at 20th Century Fox's child actors, grades K-12.
She was an imaginative teacher with creative students. Among them
were
Shirley Temple, Roddy and Virginia McDowell, Anne Baxter, June Haver,
Linda Darnell. Gene Tierney, Jane Withers, Stanley Clements, Freddie
Bathalalemew, Jean Moorehead, Johnny Washbrook, Natalie Wood, Debra
Paget, Angela Cartwright, Billy Mumy and many, many others.
Frances loved all of her Studio Kids and never considered them to be
anything less than perfect. She retired as Director of Education for
Fox
Studio and spent the rest of her life traveling and enjoying
adventures:
often with her family and her nephew, Charles Grotke of Blythe.
Frances is survived by her nephew, Charles Grotke (wife Jeri); and
her
stepdaughters, Ann Conton and Linda Weisinger as well as many of her
Studio Kids.
Frances was preceded in death by her parents, Frances and Augustus
Klamt; her husband, John R. Willis; her sisters, Helen Grotke and
Dorothy Bingenheimer; and lifelong best friend, Catherine Deeney.
God be with you Tia Francesca.
Funeral services for Frances will be held at 10 a.m. on May 29 at
Holy
Cross Cemetery, Chapel of the Holy Redeemer in Culver City.