Francis André Denis – July 2, 1984 – October 25, 2026

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our Francis, Papa, M. Denis, Franky, Francisco Jones, Franny, on Sunday, October 25^th, surrounded by his loved ones, at the age of 42 after a battle with soft tissue sarcoma.  Francis Denis was the husband of Craig Gilson, the papa to Emma and Olivia and the son of André and Roseanne Denis.

Francis was a loving person who found great joy in the outdoors by camping, hiking, running, biking, kayaking, travelling the world, and especially geocashing. His family and friends meant everything to him and he spent as much time as he possibly could with them. He was passionate about the Habs, his work as an educator and his role as a volleyball coach. He inspired so many young athletes at École Providence in Vonda and at École Canadienne-Française in Saskatoon. His heart went into those gyms, practices, games, and tournaments. So much, that École Providence has named the school gym in his honour. Francis loved numbers and statistics – from the number of students per school, to hockey player stats, to high school volleyball stats. And if you ever see a series of numbers on your odometer or on your clock that have a specific order, think of him.

Left to cherish his memory and mourn his passing are his husband, Craig Gilson, les filles, Emma and Olivia Stubbs, his parents André and Roseanne (née Roy) Denis, his siblings, Karly (Chad) Woolsey, Shanelle (Eric) Dion, Eric (Alicia née Lopinsky) Denis, his in-laws Debra and Scott Gilson, Britney and Graham Dunk, Andrew and Melody (née Doern) Gilson, and 13 nephews and nieces.

His celebration of life will be held on Saturday, October 31^st at 1:00 pm in the gymnasium of ECF PGD at 2320 Louise Ave. Saskatoon, SK.

His family would like to thank the team at the Cancer Center who was there during his challenging chemo treatments, the palliative home care team that made his stay at home more comfortable and the staff at the Hospice at Glengarda who made his last days comfortable and peaceful.

In lieu of flowers, please donate to the Hospice at Glengarda via St-Paul’s Hospital Foundation.

Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to Jay Jackson of Kushneryk Funeral Service, Wakaw, SK, 306-233-4403.

• Date : 2026-10-25
• Location : Saskatoon, SK