With love and remembrance, we share the passing of John Henry Franklin, age 73, who passed away peacefully, surrounded by his loved ones on April 19, 2025. A service and celebration of life will be held Sunday, June 1; please contact family for details.

Born on July 3, 1951 in Crossnore, North Carolina, John was the fourth of five children of Roger and Thelma Franklin. His older sisters Pat and Rachel, older brother Roger Lee, and younger brother Hugh grew up with him in Pineola and later Marion, NC. John was a member of 4-H and raised a prize-winning dairy cow named Matilda. He discovered an early love for baseball, playing first base in high school, and worked in a department store and as a school bus driver starting at age 16.  John's family frequently traveled to see extended family and friends on the east coast, particularly Florida, and he even took his cousins to DisneyWorld the first year it was open.

John attended college at Appalachian State in North Carolina. He made lifelong friends in college and after graduation followed his two older sisters to Alaska.  As a young U.S. Customs Inspector in the 1970s, John worked in a remote part of Alaska at the Alcan Port of Entry and later for a time at Poker Creek where he was the only American posted at the border. He vividly described canoe trips on his days off in the Alcan where he got up close encounters with wildlife.

In his 40 years with U.S. Customs, John's family would say his most pivotal posting was at the Canadian border at Blaine, WA, where he met another inspector, Dorothy Hinchcliffe, in 1982. They went on their first date in June, got engaged in July, and got married August 30 at Peace Arch Park. The newlywed Franklins honeymooned for 3 weeks visiting Oahu, the big island, and Maui, and would return to Hawai'i many times over their 42 years of marriage.  John and Dorothy lived in Surrey, BC until their move to Anacortes, WA in 1986.

John and Dorothy raised two children, Amy and Roger. They loved taking the kids camping in their travel trailer around the western U.S., fostering a love of parks and the outdoors. The Franklins found a great community in the Presbyterian church as the kids were growing up, and John served as an Elder for several years. John had a fantastic sense of humor, a love of games and always sought to make life fun for his family. Amy and Roger remember their dad often created treasure hunts for their birthday parties and a Christmas Eve treasure hunt became the family tradition in their teen and young adult years. John always supported his kids' hobbies and extracurriculars. He spent many hours in the audience for Amy's theater and choir performances, and assisting with Roger's Little League and Boy Scout activities. Particularly memorable was a trip in Moab with Roger where they got to raft down the Colorado River!

Near the close of his career, John transferred to the Shannon Airport in Ireland.  John and Dorothy moved overseas for 2 years, settling into a lovely house in County Clare which became the base for many family and friends to visit. John and Dorothy traveled all around Europe those years and particularly enjoyed Spain and the Christmas markets in Germany and Belgium. John retired after they returned and he and Dorothy spent several seasons as snowbirds in Arizona, where John enjoyed attending Spring Training games and hiking in the Superstition Mountains.  In 2017, John accomplished a major goal when he hiked the Grand Canyon and stayed a night at Phantom Ranch at the bottom of the canyon, alongside brother Roger Lee, daughter Amy and son-in-law Kevin.

John's favorite pastime in retirement was being "Grandad" to his 3 loving grandchildren.  Roger and Kylie welcomed Maddux in 2017 and Finnlay in 2022; and Amy and Kevin had Audrey in 2021.  Claiming there were "no rules at Grandma and Grandad's house," John was ready to make sure his grandkids were entertained with ice cream, late bedtimes, extra books, and games of hide and seek. He particularly loved hosting his family at the cabin he and Dorothy bought in Rockaway Beach, OR. John always pined for those "seven miles of sandy beach" on the Oregon Coast; his favorite place to take walks and watch the waves.

To share memories of John, please sign the online guest register and bookmark this link to check for updates, www.evanschapel.com/obituary/john-franklin