Frances F. Esposito

Frances Ferguson Esposito died at the age of 84 in her home in Westford, MA. She was born on June 24, 1939 and passed away on July 5, 2023. She spent her early years in the Bronx and her formative years growing up in Massapequa Park, NY. She graduated from Queen of the Rosary Academy and received her B.A. in Economics from Saint Francis of Loretto, PA. She received her M.A. in Economics from Fordham University and her Ph.D. in Economics from Boston College in 1967.

She was a trailblazer and a pioneer of women in the field of economics. Frances taught economics at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth for 32 years. She was a highly respected teacher and a productive scholar. Her fields of specialization were industrial organization and antitrust economics. She published papers in some of the best economics journals. Even today her papers are often cited by other scholars.

Equally as important as her intellectual acumen, was her wonderful sense of humor and her beautiful infectious smile. People loved being around her. She was considered a “fun” person. People who met her never forgot her. She was a wonderful wife, the absolute best mother and a devoted friend. Frances was the strongest person her family knew.

Frances loved art and visiting art museums. Frances, Louis and Donna took many trips to museums across the country. She enjoyed the ballet introducing her husband and daughter to that art form. Frances enjoyed reading and watching murder mysteries. She thoroughly enjoyed her glass of white wine around 5 p.m.. In addition, she was an avid letter writer and lover of mail and the US Postal Service. She wrote cards and letters daily to her daughter, her sisters and her friends.

She is survived by her husband of 54 years, Louis Esposito; her daughter, Donna Ferguson Esposito; her son-in-law, Jay Thomas Kimble; her sisters, Mary Jane Ferguson of Seattle, Washington and Helen Ann Rossetti of Gainesville, Florida. She is predeceased by her sister, Margaret Elizabeth Pierce.

Relatives and friends are invited to Frances’ Celebration of Life on Sunday, July 9, 2023 from 3PM until 6PM at the WESTFORD HEALY FUNERAL HOME, 57 N. Main Street, Westford. Her funeral service will be celebrated on Monday, July 10, 2023 at 11AM in the funeral home. Burial will be private. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Frances’ memory to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, 465 Waverly Oaks Road, Ste. 202, Waltham, MA 02452 or Child Fund International, PO BOX 1911, Merrifield, VA 22116.