04/09/2026
Our cowboy, Patrick Lloyd Melvin La France was tired, and he rode away for the last time on Tuesday, April 7th, 2026.
Patrick “Pat” was born on April 24th, 1951, in Glecian, Alberta to Robert “Bobby” Isadore La France and Maggie Good Eagle La France. He received his name from old man Pat Grasshopper. He was the oldest of the boys and he was a proud brother to all his sisters. Dad was close to his grandparents, who left this world when he was very young. He attended the Catholic Residential Schools on the Siksika reserve and chose to leave before he graduated. He joined the United States Marines when he turned 18. He received an honorable discharge later.
Patrick met his good friend, Donold Passes, back home in Canada at a rodeo when he was 19. Dad called him “Donald Duck”. Donold introduced him to the Real Bird boys, and they invited him to Crow Fair Rodeo. This is how he came to Crow country and that summer he seen a waitress named Frances who was on break from college. He kept going back to the Sun Lodge Café to try and buy her a cup of coffee. Well, his persistence paid off. She finally said yes and began to see this handsome cowboy. This new couple ended up working together when the 212 road to Lame Deer was being repaved. Dad was a heavy equipment operator and momma was a Flagger.
Eventually, they eloped to Calgary, Alberta and got married on Valentine’s Day and began raising their first born, Angela-followed by Dayle (Candy or D.J.). Their days in Calgary were filled with work, travel, rodeo or time with family and friends. Eventually, they made their way to California. Momma’s family was enjoying the sunshine state and dad got a job as a crane operator for a shipyard in San Diego. This landed him a position to work for a contractor that did work for NASA. He was proud to be a part of the “NASA Crew”. His sons Andre and Dion were born in Los Angeles. Dad enjoyed meeting people, eating good food, and sticking out like the Cowboy he was. He always wore his boots. Wasn’t going to do the ‘hippy” thing and never wore flip flops. Dad enjoyed California very much and stayed behind when everyone else went North.
Dad met his second wife, Victoria and from this union, his son Brandon was born. He enjoyed his time in Victoria’s Navajo country, and he made many new friends and family. Eventually, he went back to Canada and met a lady named Linda Big Knife who blessed him with three daughters: Niomie, Christy and Becky.
Patrick was a free spirit who was always unsettled. This led to him changing locations and traveling a lot. He enjoyed a good steak, playing cards, old rodeo stories, heavy equipment jobs, and fencing. He loved working with horses and once upon a time, he loved Bull Riding and then Bull Do***ng. In his older years, he loved walking in the country, cold glasses of milk, old Western movies, and cruising while sharing stories of his youth. He loved arguing with his great-grandson, baby Wendel Felicia over cookies and toys. He was very proud of his sons who did well in rodeo and the military. He was also proud of his grandsons who graduated college, excelled in their work fields and made it to Indian National Finals Rodeo in Bull Do***ng and Roping. He always missed his favorite uncle Gordon Crow Child and his wife, Marie Good Eagle Crow Child. He was able to see her a few years ago and was happy. He always missed his mom and his brother’s that passed on too young and too soon.
Patrick is survived by his sisters: Marriam (Andy) Zacharias, Liouse Minde, Dolly Doenz and Robbie Robinson. His brother Larry (Rose) La France, Wade (Raylene) Healy and Malcome (Rosey) La France. He is also survived by Uncle Leonard (Ann Marie) Good Eagle, Matthew A Young Man and Aunt Margret Good Eagle. He is further survived by his children: Angela La France, Dayle “D.J.” (Lee) Felicia, Andre (Emerly), Dion (Cassie) La France, Brandon La France, Niomie Big Knife-La France, Christie Big Knife, and Becky Big Knife. He has lots of beautiful grandsons and granddaughters, as well as great-grandbabies. He also survived by the following families: Yellow Old Woman, Crow Child, Leather, Good Eagle, Poor Eagle, Sleigh, Many Wounds, Joshua, Lee, Montours, Swampy, Buffalo and the Bruno families.
Patrick was preceded in death by his sister Gloria Eagle Tail Feathers, brothers: Albert, Jimmy, Christie, Billy, Ross, Brad and most recently his youngest brother, Chuck. He also lost his favorite auntie, Georgine A Young Man, his grandparents Vincent and Annie Yellow Old Woman and his maternal grandparents Joe and Laura Good Eagle.
We love you daddy and are glad you are home with your mom and siblings. You are young and healthy again. We will see you again some day…….
