Keen Wesley Franklin

Keen Wesley Franklin October 29, 1924 December 17, 2008 Keen Wesley Franklin, 84, of Waco, Texas, died December 17, 2008. A memorial service will be held 10:30 a.m., Saturday, December 20, at Wilkirson-Hatch-Bailey with the Rev. David Spain of Norman, Oklahoma, and Rev. Steve Ramsdall, senior minister of First United Methodist Church, officiating. A private graveside service for the family and the interment of the cremains will be at a later date at Forest Lawn Gardens Cemetery, 3739 Washington Road, McMurray, Pennsylvania. Mr. Franklin was born October 29, 1924, in Texas City, Texas, to Keen Franklin and Jewel Shaffer. He graduated from high school in Calvert, TX, in 1942, and started at Baylor University the same year. He served with the U.S. Navy during World War II in the South Pacific from 1943 to 1945. After the war, he returned to Baylor and graduated in 1949 with a BBA degree. After teaching four years in the Mont Belvieu and Bremond, TX, public schools, he joined Aluminum Company of America at its Rockdale Works as a construction accountant. His career of 31 years with ALCOA provided numerous assignments at the company's Primary Products Division plants, including Perth, Australia, and Sao Luis, Brazil. He retired from ALCOA in 1985 and settled in Upper St. Clair, Pennsylvania, with his wife, Elizabeth, who died in 1994. He then moved to Waco, and married Jenna Baggett. From that time until his death, Mr. Franklin served the Waco community as a volunteer, working with Friends for Life, Service Corps of Retired Executives SCORE and the AARP Tax-Aide Program. He was an Emeritus Life Associate of the Institute of Management Accountants. He loved singing in the Chancel Choir at First United Methodist Church, Waco, as well as the Baylor Senior Adult Choir. He was a member of the Odell Dudley Sunday School Class at First United Methodist Church. Mr. Franklin was also a member of the Waco Senior Kiwanis Club. Survivors include his wife, Jenna, of Waco; sons, Bill Dean Franklin and wife, Sharon, of Orlando, Florida; David Allan Franklin and wife, Olga Fisher, of New York City; and Tony Lee Franklin and wife, Sharon, of New Bern, North Carolina; daughter, Deborah Ellen Franklin of Asheville, NC; seven grandchildren and eight great grandchildren; as well as stepson, W. Michael Baggett and wife, Jo, of Dallas; and Craig Baggett of Waco; stepdaughters, Pamela Spain and husband, David, of Norman, Okla.; and Carla Hallman and husband, Trip, of Christoval, TX; seven stepgrandchildren and 7 step great grandchildren. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests a Memorial Contribution to Friends for Life, P.O. Box 23491, Waco TX 76702-3491 phone: 254 772-7600. The family invites you to leave a message or memory in our "Memorial Guestbook" at www.WilkirsonHatchBailey.com.