Mr. William Franks Obituary - Visitation & Funeral Information

Bill Franks of Roswell, Georgia passed away after a brave 6-month battle with Glioblastoma on May 20th 2022 surrounded by his family. Bill was born December 13th 1946 in Paterson, New Jersey to Agnes and William Franks. He moved with his family to Wayne, New Jersey at the age of nine and went on to graduate from Wayne Valley High School. He grew up with seven siblings, and at an early age began working alongside his father in construction to help provide for his family. In February of 1966 Bill was drafted into the United States Army. He served from 1966 to 1970 as a Captain in the US Army during the Vietnam war. Bill was a highly decorated Vietnam combat veteran. He received three Purple Hearts and a Bronze Star in recognition of his sacrifice. Bill was a member of the 3rd Special Forces Group (Green Berets) and served as a Captain for 101st Airborne, the Screaming Eagles; know to Bill as the “Puking Buzzards”. In 1975, Bill graduated from the University of Florida, completing his BS in Business Management while working a full-time job to support himself. Bill was hired as a sales representative for Pitney Bowes. His final position after 11 years with the company was Field Sales Operations Manager where he led the corporate team, building their nationwide copier sales unit. Stories of his accomplishments are still shared today by those that knew him. In 1976 he married Lyn and raised her daughter, Jamie, as his own. His daughter, Jessica, was born on May 17, 1977. In 1986 Bill took a position with Home Savings of America and Ahmanson Mortgage as a Senior Vice President where he hired, trained and led the sales force in the East coast and Midwest regions. He went on to become the EVP of BayRock Mortgage Corporation as part owner of the Atlanta based mortgage company. He enjoyed the starting and growing of this business, shaping the growth and development of sales leaders. Bill’s strong work ethic was second to none, he even found time to rearrange the dishwasher every night when he got home after a long day at work. The lines in the carpet after he vacuumed remain unmatched to this day, and his lawn was the envy of his neighbors. He took extraordinary pride in everything he did. Bill met his wife to be Anne in 1987 while both working at Home Savings of America. Anne moved from Minneapolis to Stanford Connecticut, where there lived together and worked in New York City. Anne and Bill married in 1991 in Minneapolis, Anne’s hometown. They moved to Coral Springs, Florida where they had their two children together Jonathan and Sydney. Jessica was in high school at the time, and he once stood outside her senior prom with an axe to protect her. Another legendary move by a dad who would do anything for his children. They then moved to Roswell, Georgia where they spent the next 25 years raising a family and living a beautiful life. He held onto his Northern roots with his love for Italian food and he could recite every word of the Godfather and Sopranos. “Botta Bing, Botta Boom” was often heard when around Bill. Bill had a spectacular sense of humor drawing those in around him for the pure joy of his company. He loved reading, was a natural public speaker and great communicator. He was also a football fanatic, including the New York Giants (as painful as that was) and the Alabama Crimson Tide, where his son, Jonathan, graduated in 2018. Bill absolutely loved his children Jessica, Jonathan, and Sydney. He miraculously grew to love all the pets Anne and Sydney would sneak into the home. Bill was the rock of the Franks family. His favorite motto in life was “there but for the grace of God go I”. He instilled this in all his children. Bill is survived by his wife Anne Franks of Roswell, Georgia; his only son Jonathan Franks of Roswell, Georgia; his daughters Jessica Franks of Milton, Georgia, and Sydney Franks of Roswell, Georgia, and Jamie Pear of Phoenix, Arizona. Bill is also survived by his granddaughter Lexi Harris and Lexi’s Father Lorin Harris of Milton, Georgia; and his sister Patti Bruterri and brother-in-law Bill Bruterri of Fredon, New Jersey; sister Alison Franks of Rutland, Vermont; his brother Corey Franks of Deland, Florida; his brother David Franks of St. Robert, Missouri; brother-in-law Richard Mongeur and his wife Judy of St. Cloud, Florida. Bill is preceded in death, by his mother Agnes Franks, his father William Franks, his twin brother Robert Franks, his sister Leslie Mongeur, and brother Steven Franks. A Military Funeral Service will be held July 6th at 11:15 AM EST, at the Georgia National Cemetery. Please contact Jonathan Franks for the after-party arrangements at 404-731-6156 by June 29th. In lieu of flowers, donations will be welcomed to the William Franks Memorial Fund at https://www.gofundme.com/f/william-franks-memorial-fund.

Mr. William Franks

December 13, 1946 - May 20, 2022