Timothy Frank La France

Tim La France. The Man. The Myths. The Legacy.

The Man.Timothy Frank La France was born November 5, 1943 in Cleveland, Ohio. He and his older brother Robert managed to grow up without killing each other or their many cousins and doted on their little sister Renee. Tim attended Case Institute of Technology on a golf caddy scholarship and majored in engineering. He and his motorcycle departed for California a few years later and the adventures began. He returned to Case to finish his degree and later studied the effects of electromagnetic fields on baboons in a biomedical engineering program at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore. After his daughter Danielle was born he and first wife Marilyn moved back to California, where he narrowly avoided a career in law enforcement due to the impossibility of subordinating himself to his intellectual inferiors in the LAPD academy. After his son David was born, they moved to San Diego, where Tim became a gunsmith. He founded La France Specialties, employing his knowledge of mechanical engineering to become an expert machinist and innovator. Beginning his work with handguns, he created pistols he named the Nova and the 6PAC. His painstaking, perfectionist focus on his craft led clients, law enforcement, military, and industry professionals to seek his expertise for repairs and consultations as well as to purchase his guns. Tim, an excellent marksman, competed in countless shooting tournaments and trained many in the correct use of firearms. Safety and maintenance were always paramount in his teaching about guns. In the 1980s, Tim developed and patented the first silencers for automatic rifles. His work on machine guns and submachine guns later led to his work on the sets of Hollywood productions from The Terminator to Red Heat to Miami Vice. He did not just convert weapons to shoot blanks for more authenticity in film, but moreover designed and manufactured unique firearms for specific films. In 2003 Tim went to work at SureFire, LLC as their resident weapons expert and Chief Engineer, where he was the bane of the HR department as he simultaneously trained and terrorized many younger engineers. Tim sold La France Specialties to SureFire in 2004, after which his car consumption increased exponentially. Retirement bored him and he always returned to working on guns as well as attending many gun shows.

The Myths

Tim was not a doctor and never attended medical school, although he considered himself an allergist, pharmacist, and all around expert on illness, disease, and surgeries, all of which he had several. None of his family members or acquaintances escaped a diagnosis from Tim at some point, some valid, always appreciated. Tim’s involvement with the clandestine School of the Americas is shrouded in mystery. He spent time in El Salvador in 1983, but did not serve in the military. Tim La France and his partner Scott Weekly sold guns, cannons, and explosives and spent time training fighters. The only crimes Tim solved were the ones he watched on TV, but he had an esteemed career as an expert witness in cases involving firearms. He felt a strong obligation to bring to light manufacturing defects and dangers in order to protect gun users. Tim was legally married only twice, although he had numerous other close calls. His cherished partner of 26 years, Jennifer Curlee, was the love of his life and a master at Tim Management, in which she attained a doctorate level of achievement surpassed by none. He correctly acknowledged her as a saint for this endeavor, especially as she took on a second career in nursing in the 2020s as his health began to fail and he was diagnosed with Parkinsonism. Almost 50 years after giving up motorcycle racing, Tim took lessons in auto racing and became the oldest rookie in the SCCA Spec Miata class. He practiced at many racetracks, notably Chuckawalla Raceway, where he was a member. He did indeed own three Corvettes and two McLarens, but none of them at the same time and he enjoyed racing in time trials and on highway ramps with sharp curves.

The Legacy

Tim La France’s legacy has forever influenced his family, friends, and profession. His most beloved family, in addition to his siblings Robert La France and Renee Samac, children Danielle Borgia and David La France, and grandchildren Caiden, Lorenzo, Josephine, and Dante were his father Frank, his Uncle Boo, Aunt Honey, cousins David Worrell, Albert Bruno, Bill Worrell, Bernadette Fornicari,  Dale Worrell, Mark Worrell and his brother-in-law Bernie Samac. He imbued in his children the primary importance of family, driving them cross country to know their grandparents and taking them everywhere with him when they were little. He said there was nothing we could do that would make him stop loving us, even if we acted stupid, and he would “help us hide the bodies” if push came to shove. We always assumed that this sinister loyalty stemmed from the Italian cousin shenanigans in Cleveland, OH - Clairton, PA. He brought his love for baseball into his parenting. Notably, his season coaching David’s Little League team will go down in history as the loudest and most continuous screaming at clueless children ever performed by an athletic mentor. Tim had a multitude of friends, several of whom had been colleagues, mentors, and mentees, with whom he shared his life. Too many of them died before him, which he bemoaned in later years when he missed them terribly. A handful of the most loyal and thick-skinned, including Chet Huffman and Craig Jackson, worked in his shop with him for many years and he valued them highly. He loved having visitors to his immaculate, organized, clearly labelled machine shops, where multiple projects were always in progress. Tim and his weapons were featured in many trade publications. Many of these articles were written by his devoted friend Stan Crist. Tim and his guns remain highly sought after for their outstanding quality as well as innovation. His career as a master weaponsmith and inventor was unparalleled. He really could fix anything-or at least tell you exactly how he could fix it if he had the tools, the time, and the eyesight. We will all miss Tim’s jokes, insults, tall tales, snarky T-shirts, phone calls, and infinite desire to mold the world to his will. He laughed loudly, swore plentifully, and loved fiercely.