A lamp to our feet and a light to our path-​​-Psalm 119:105

Frances A. Cauz, beloved wife, mother, grandmother, sister-in-law, aunt, and friend passed away on August 28, 2025, with her loving children at her side.  Frances lived her life in love and devotion to her family, work, and communities; her grace, poise, and generous spirit shined in all she did.

Visitation will take place on Tuesday, September 2, 2025, from 4pm to 7pm at Gallaway & Crane Funeral Home, 101 South Finley Avenue in Basking Ridge, NJ. A Funeral Mass will be celebrated at 11:00am on Wednesday, September 3, 2025, at St. James Roman Catholic. Church, Basking Ridge, followed by burial at Fairview Cemetery, Westfield, NJ. For directions and/or to express condolences, please visit https://gcfuneralhome.com

Frances was born on September 21, 1935, in Elizabeth NJ to Francisco and Concepción Artes, who immigrated from Spain to America in 1920. At home, Frances spoke Spanish and learned English as a kindergartener; she fluently and impeccably spoke read and wrote in Spanish and English throughout her life.  In 1953, Frances graduated Salutatorian from Battin High School in Elizabeth, NJ. Bright, intellectually curious, and possessing a tirelessly strong work ethic, she began her career as a stenographer and thereafter a secretary with the FBI in Newark, N.J. Upon leaving the FBI to start her family, she joined the Society of Former FBI Employees where she remained a contributing member until her death.

She was married to her beloved husband Frank in 1959, and together they enjoyed almost 53 years of marriage until his death in 2012. For nearly 40 years Frances and Frank made their home and raised their family in Cranford, NJ, until 1999, when they moved to Chester, N.J. In 2012, Frances moved to Fellowship Village in Basking Ridge New Jersey.  Throughout her children’s elementary and junior high school years, Frances volunteered extensively with the Parent Teacher Association and her children’s recreational organizations while she worked from home as a transcriber for US District Court of New Jersey court reporters. When not caring for her husband, children, and parents, working, or volunteering, Frances enjoyed arts and crafts, sewing, cooking and baking, refinishing furniture, listening to music on the radio, and reading. Frances later went on to be a legal secretary at Lerner, David, Littenberg, Krumholz & Mentlik until her retirement in 1999. Embracing retirement,Frances and Frank delighted in their children and grandchildren – babysitting, hosting sleepovers, and cheering them on at every milestone and activity.  When not at home in Chester, they enjoyed river cruises throughout the United Sates and Europe; and annually vacationed in Ogunquit, Maine.

In Cranford, Frances and her family were parishioners at St. Michael’s Roman Catholic Church.  In Chester, Frances and Frank were parishioners at St. Lawrence Church where Frances volunteered administratively with weekly collections and by sewing baptismal gowns. And while residing at Fellowship, she attended Mass and received Communion through St. James Church. Within Fellowship’s independent living community Frances enjoyed dear friendships, volunteering administratively collating monthly newsletters, and placing them in residents’ mailboxes, working the register at Fellowship’s store, and dispensing water daily to residents in the Health Center. Frances will be remembered as a bright and gracious lady, a generously loving and devoted daughter, wife, sister-in-law, mother, grandmother, aunt, and friend.

Frances’ light is carried within the grateful hearts of her children Laura C. Laurita and her husband James of Mendham, NJ, and Martin A. Cauz and his wife Kathleen of Kinnelon, NJ; and her adored and cherished grandchildren: Anne Catherine and Mary Caroline Laurita, Benjamin A. and Daniel J. Cauz, Mary’s husband Karl Sarier, and Anne’s fiancé Sam Pastoriza. Frances is survived by her sister-in-law, Angeles C. Lopez of Sharon M.A., as well as nieces and nephews and their families.

Frances was predeceased by her husband Frank, and parents, Francisco and Concepción Artes.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in Frances’ name to a charity of your choice.