Posthumous Honors for Exceptional Professional Success
To say that Francis Besancon loved teaching would be a major understatement. Besancon, who passed away at age 51 in 1990, was well-known and well-liked in several Connecticut academic communities and certainly well-versed in all that makes an educator a great educator.
Besancon initially attended the University of Hartford to study engineering, receiving a Professional Certificate from Ward College of Technology in 1963. Four years later, he earned his bachelor’s degree from the College of Education, Nursing and Health Professions. He then built a career as a public-school teacher in such towns as Terryville and Woodbury.
One of Besancon’s favorite topics was physics, and as an extension of that, he established a robotics curriculum in Terryville, which many people consider to be his greatest legacy as an educator. His advanced placement courses were among his favorites, and it was often noted how the parent community in the districts in which he taught were supportive of his efforts. He also had a passion for coaching girls’ basketball.
Besancon took great pride in his profession and students. His widow, Gail, mentioned a booklet filled with notes from former students expressing their appreciation. Many students also visited him and Gail at home to help with projects, as Besancon loved to build and fix things.
Outside of the classroom, Besancon loved the theater. He and his wife were frequent patrons at Hartford Stage.