Douglas Barton Franklin, 93, of Redstone Village, Huntsville passed away peacefully on January 20, surrounded by his family. He was the third child of the late Rev. C. McCoy Franklin and Mary S. Franklin of Madisonville, TN. He was preceded in death by his wife of 64 years, Patricia W. Franklin, and son, David McCoy Franklin. He was also preceded in death by his brother, Bruce Franklin, and sisters Alice Baker and Bert Childress. He is survived by two brothers and sister-in-law, Mack & Betty Franklin, and Rev. M. McCoy Franklin.
He will be lovingly remembered and greatly missed by his children, Dr. Lloyd & Darlene Franklin of Cookeville, TN, and Philip & Leslie Franklin of Huntsville AL, as well as his grandchildren, Brian & Megan Franklin, Dr. Stephen & Samantha Franklin and great-grandson Connor, and Robert Franklin of Cookeville, TN; Lindsey & Tyler Edmondson and great-granddaughters Elizabeth & Emma of Huntsville AL; and Nathan & Sarah Franklin of Scott Air Force Base, IL. He will also be missed by a large and loving extended family and good friends.
Doug was born in Crossnore, NC and spent most of his youth in Madisonville, TN. He worked long hours on his father’s farm with his siblings. After graduating from Madisonville High School in 1948, he went on to Hiawassee College then to Tennessee Tech University in Cookeville, TN to double major in Engineering and Chemistry. His first job was at Oakridge National Laboratory in Tennessee where he met Patricia (Patsy) Wright. They were married in 1952 and moved to Huntsville, AL to work at Redstone Arsenal with the Army Ballistic Missile Agency. He transitioned from the Army to National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in 1958, where he was a materials engineer with a specialty in corrosion stress analysis.
In addition to raising three boys, Doug and his wife were charter members of Faith Presbyterian Church. He enjoyed working at the church and served on every building committee. He also taught many Sunday School classes as well as volunteered as both high school and college age youth advisor.
Doug retired from NASA after 39 years of civil service. He quickly became involved with Habitat for Humanity of North Alabama. He was passionate about its mission and spent the next 25 years building houses. He especially enjoyed being the site boss and working with families to secure good housing. A humble man, he was quick to let others take the spotlight and yet was one of the strongest leaders. Doug was often one of the first ones on the worksite and last to leave. He worked on his last house when he turned 90 just prior to the beginning of the pandemic.
A time of visitation with the family will be held Saturday, January 28 at 1:00 pm at Faith Presbyterian Church, 5003 Whitesburg Dr. in the sanctuary followed by a celebration of life and resurrection at 2:00 pm. A graveside service will be held Sunday, January 29 at 1:00 pm at Maple Hill Cemetery with the Rev. Burt McGlawn officiating both times.
Memorials may be made to Habitat for Humanity of the River Valley (habitatrivervalley.org) or Faith Presbyterian Church.
