George E. Franklin

George Edward Franklin, born May 13, 1939, passed away May 24 with loved ones in attendance. George, a long-time resident of Franklin, is predeceased by a son, Mark (and wife Jean), and survived by sons Bill, Ben and Tim, daughters-in-law Carol Barton and Krista Schnitzler, and granddaughters Paige Franklin and Ellis Franklin.

George grew up in Kokomo, Indiana, with parents Charles and Elizabeth and younger sisters Mary Sue Hertweck and Carol Ann Franklin. He attended Kokomo High School and then the University of Cincinnati, studying engineering. During college, he met Jean, and after a short courtship, they married on Nov. 26, 1960. During their years in Cincinnati, they had sons Bill, Mark and Ben. The family then moved to Joppatowne, Maryland, where Tim was born. After a brief stint in Maryland, the family then moved to Franklin.

As a boy, George was an avid Boy Scout and master of the foil pack; he achieved the rank of Eagle Scout. Moving to a leadership role, he was first a pack leader and then scoutmaster for Franklin Pack 29. All four sons followed into scouts with varying levels of success — two were Eagle Scouts. Every summer, George took the troop to Camp Child, where three sons also attended as staff; Mark became nature director, Ben worked in handicraft and Tim in Scoutcraft. Jean also was an active den mother. George was recognized for his service in scouting with receipt of the Silver Beaver award.

George, during his facial hair period, was very civic minded. He joined a group of residents looking to change the charter of Franklin. George also helped with the Franklin Bicentennial celebrations with the kite festival.

Throughout his life, George was passionate about safety. He initially went to work for Aetna Life and Casualty as a loss control engineer. He eventually moved on to Frank B. Hall, further making workplaces safer, especially those in the shoe business. George, looking for more versatility, hung out his own shingle, Ergonomic & Safety Services Inc., where he provided inspections and safety training for all aspects of industry. George also was an avid tester of the aquatic resistance to small, handheld electronics, often proving their vulnerabilities.

George, with much support from Jean, was very active in church — originally the United Methodist Church in Franklin, then the Hopkinton Congregationalist Church, and finally Faith Community Church of Hopkinton. He was active in flower sales, bible studies, prayer groups, the Missionary Committee and the Building Committee, having been instrumental with the building of Faith Community Church.

His funeral service will be held in the Ginley Funeral Home, 131 Main Street, Franklin, on Saturday, June 24, at 3 p.m. Visitation will be on Saturday from 2-3 p.m. In lieu of flowers or cards, please consider donations to Friends of Franklin Elders at FOFE, 10 Daniel McCahill Street, Franklin, MA 02038 (franklinma.gov/friends-franklin-elders) 
or the Franklin Food Pantry at 43 West Central Street, Franklin, MA 02038 (franklinfoodpantry.org).

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