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Francis J. Corrigan Jr.

April 20, 2023

Francis J. Corrigan Jr., 67, of Ashburn, VA, passed away Thursday April 20, 2023, at Capital Caring Health, Adler Center Hospice, Aldie, VA. He was born in Wilkes-Barre to Francis J. Corrigan Sr. and the late Rosemond Thoman Corrigan. Francis was raised in the East End section of the city. He graduated from Coughlin High School (Go Crusaders!), Michigan State University in Political Science, Masters from MSU in public administration and his doctoral work in political economy and fiscal policy at the University of Michigan.  While at Michigan, he worked as an instructor in political science, teaching American government and honors courses in policy analysis. He also worked as a research associate with the Intragovernmental Fiscal Analysis Project at the Institute for Social Research at UM and participated in the Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research program in methods.

Francis spent most of his professional career in state and Federal government, starting as an intern and then a legislative assistant in the office of Al Gore when he was a member of the House of Representatives. He then moved on to work as a special assistant to the Director of Economic Expansion for the State of Michigan and environmental impact analyst for the Michigan Environmental Review Board.

After that, he spent the rest of his professional career in public finance, first as a rate analyst for the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, then as policy and budget analyst with the Office of Conservation and Renewable Energy at the Department of Energy. Most of his career was spent with the Department of Agriculture, first as a fiscal analyst, then as Director of the Department’s Working Capital Fund, and finally as a special assistant in the Office of the Chief Financial Officer.

Francis worked as a volunteer in environmental research in Alaska and Canada, exploring the effects of development and climate change on sub-arctic environments. He was active in quite a few men’s and coed softball leagues. He enjoyed concerts, taking long driving trips up and down the east coast and into the mountains, and the occasional round of golf. He became a hockey fan upon moving to the DC area and wrote pieces on the Washington Capitals for two Web sites, one of his own and the other for a media outlet.

Francis retired from Federal service, his new job being a “cancer warrior.” It was pretty much a full- time job after being diagnosed in December 2020. He faced many challenges, especially dealing with chemotherapy treatments, but he punched through it day by day. In his words, “So yes, I have cancer. There, I said it. Let’s move on.”

Surviving along with his father are sister, Mary Wilson and her husband, Roger, Lansdale, PA; nephew, Samuel Wilson, Montana; several cousins, including Midge Serafin and her husband, David.

Funeral service will be held 10:00 a.m. on Friday, April 28, 2023 from the Nat & Gawlas Funeral Home 89 Park Avenue, Wilkes-Barre, PA 18702.  Interment will follow in St. Nicholas Cemetery, Shavertown, PA.

A visitation for family and friends will be held from 9:00 am to 10:00 am on Friday at the Funeral Home.

Condolences can be sent by visiting Francis’ obituary at www.natandgawlas.com.