GIG HARBOR, WA - Frances Baese, a former 35-year employee for Buick, passed away unexpectedly, Nov. 16 in Gig Harbor, Wash. She was 86.

Baese attended Butler University, Indianapolis, on a full scholarship, where she earned a B.S. in Business Administration and graduated with honors in 1944.

She later moved to Flint, Mich., and began her 35-year career with GM in 1952, starting out in the stenography pool. She advanced to work as a secretary for the Sales Dept. at Buick Motor Division and after several years, was promoted to the General Manager's office where she worked as the executive secretary to 10 different general mangers of Buick until her retirement in 1987.

During her Buick employment she was active in the Industrial Business Girls (IBG club), helping young girls and the National Secretary's Association, which promoted women in business.

Baese was a breast cancer survivor since 2005, having surgery for a small tumor. She was preceded in death by her sisters Eldean Pike, and Helen and Jane Trueblood. She is survived by her daughter, Barbara Baese and son-in-law, Richard Mollicone, and a large family of Dandie Dinmont Terriers, she considered her "grandogs".

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