Portrait of Francis Riggs and wife Rosemary
Born May 1, 1922 in Chappaqua, NY
Rank: Aviator. Service: US Army Air Corps. Division/Ship: Air Transport Command. Theater; England/ Europe. Dates of Service: 1942 - 1945

Francis P. Riggs can trace his Gloucester roots directly to his multiple-great-grandfather Thomas Riggs who was the town clerk for 51 years in the late 1600s. His own father was the first Riggs to go "over the bridge" when he left Gloucester for Harvard Dental School and ultimately New York where Francis was born and raised. After high school, Riggs attended the Pratt Institute for one year. In 1942 he enlisted in the Army Air Corps to become a pilot. Upon completion of his training, Riggs shipped over to England where he flew C-47 transports, moving troops and supplies to France. Transferred to Prestwick, Scotland, Riggs was billeted next door to Rosemary Clark and her family. They met at a 1945 New Year's Eve party at the Clark home. They married on September 13, 1945 in Ayr, Scotland. Frank was demobilized and shipped home to New York three weeks later. Rosemary would follow in February '46, crossing the Atlantic aboard a cargo ship, "I wanted to get over to Frank." The young couple took up a cold-water flat in Brooklyn a blook from Pratt Institute where Frank finished his degree in Industrial Design. Almost immediately they left NY to live in Gloucester full-time, "Frank was in love with Gloucester." They raised their three children here until 1969 when Frank was given an opportunity to work and teach with a colleague at Brigham young University. They would spend forty years in Utah, returning regularly to Gloucester. It was in Utah that Frank turned to being a full-time sculptor. Rosemary became a self-taught interior designer, writing a book on the subject. In 2009 they returned once again to live full-time in Gloucester. They no have eight grandchildren and fifteen great-grandchildren (at the time). Rosemary volunteers at the Grace Center. They were photographed on their 70th Anniversary.