Michael Gerard Franklin

Obituary MICHAEL GERARD FRANKLIN Michael Gerard Franklin, loving husband and father of ten children, passed away on December 28, 2008 at St. Joseph's Hospital in Tacoma, Washington with his family present. Michael was born on June 20, 1947 in Portland, Oregon to Gilbert C. Franklin and Mary G. Franklin. He moved to the Tacoma are to attend St. Martin's and join the seminary for the first two years of his schooling. He was a devout Catholic and a fourth degree Knight of Columbus for the Lakewood Assembly. During his time at St. Martin's, he met a very lovely woman named Paula M. McMakin at the homecoming dance in the fall of 1963. She was attending St. Placid's High Schoool, a sister school to St. Martin's. shortly thereafter, he graduated cum laude from St. martin's in the summer of 1965 and then moved on to the University of Puget Sound. While attending college at the university, Michael married his high school love and sweetheart, Paula M. McMakin, on January28, 1967. They were both 19. Michael later graduated UPS with a BFA and a MAE and then went on to teach art and social studies for nine years with the Clover Park School District. He later worked in the private sector for several boat building and construction companies, finally settling at Fairway Concrete and Steel. As the Franklin family began to grow and grow too big for the small home in Yelm, WA, he decided to try his hand at building a new home for his family in Lacey, WA. It took about two and a half years before a very beautiful three story home became plenty of room to raise ten children. Michael and his family also lived for a time in the Fort Worth, TX area before settling in Steilacoom, WA. He was quite gifted in art, math, drafting, craftsmanship and boating. These were the many hobbies he held dear especially as his children grew older and began taking interest in some of these same hobbies and seemed to have inherited those gifts as well. As a loving husband, he supported the love of his life and devoted everything he had to taking care of his family and continued to support them until the day he passed. He is survived by his wife Paula; his children Darlene Miller (Brian), Maria Hovde (Pete), John, Mike (Sin Young), Paul (Annette), Martin (Sarah), Joseph, Mark, Rachel and Milan; his grandchildren Thomas, Brittany, and Ashley Miller, Katie and Jacob Hovde, Naomi Franklin and a grandchild on the way; and his half-brother Joseph Cammack. Michael G. Franklin was precede in death by his parents, Mary G. and Gilbert C. Franklin, John Franklin his older brother, and half-sisters Ardith Duncan and Margaret Brown. Funeral Mass will be celebrated Friday, January 2, 2009 at 11:00 am at St. John Bosco Catholic Church. A Rosary will be recited prior to Mass at 10:00 am. Interment at Woodlawn Cemetery in Lacey, WA.