Robert David "Bobby" Franks

He was known as Bobby, Bob, Dad, GrandBobby, GrandBob, G-Bob, Uncle Bobby, and sometimes Mr. Bobby, but never Mr. Franks, a title he reserved for his father.

A local businessman, Bobby was the owner of Franks Vending Service, Inc., Coca-Cola Bottling Works, Inc., and Select Foods, Inc. He grew up in the vending world from early childhood, helping his dad with runs to downtown Nashville’s Standard Candy and Lovelace Candy warehouses in the family station wagon. They’d cram every available square inch with products to bring back to Minor Hill for resell to area businesses (after he was given a dollar to walk down Broadway to watch a double feature, get a sack of White Castles, and still have change left over).

Following in the footsteps of his dad, the entire business was a family business, whether you were related or not. Bobby was known for his fair dealing, above-board practices, “killing them with kindness,” doing everything he could to make his customers happy, and making sure the job was done right or it was done over. He was not known for keeping a tidy office, or car, or chair-side table, although he somehow knew where every single thing was and amazingly never got crushed by a falling pile of paperwork.

Bobby never met a stranger. Whether he was at the Pulaski Post Office or Madison Square Mall, Memorial Gymnasium at Vanderbilt or Cameron Indoor Arena at Duke, you could guarantee that he’d run into someone he knew and strike up a conversation that would last past closing time and annoy his teenage children and grandchildren. But he also had plenty of friends and wasn’t up for unsolicited social gatherings where he was forced to make small talk, and he’d thank you for not inviting him.

He was the proud patriarch of an ever-expanding family, famous for telling people that he never missed his three kids when they moved out, “...because they always come back and bring more with ‘em.” As a GrandBobby to 12 and a Great-GrandBob to six, he held the honor of having a magic chest that infants would fall asleep on, being the first to feed toddlers ice cream whether he had permission to or not, finding bugs to pop in every grandchild’s scalp, and while he rarely - if ever - yelled, he would make an exception if “someone’s fingers are about to get smashed in that door!”

Bobby was a devoted husband twice over: he was married to Nell for 41 years, surprising her with an all-black living room suite that she hated (because it was truly ugly) during the early years of their marriage, dragging his feet on subsequent house updates (because he “was getting around to it”) for most of their marriage, and selflessly caring for her during a ten-month cancer battle towards the end of her life.

He was married to Sandra for almost 21 years, somehow convincing a South Carolina girl to transplant to Tennessee, integrating her into a mostly fantastic but kind of chaotic family structure, and finally giving in to most of those house updates. It was during these years that he graduated from “Bobby” to “Bob,” but he’d still mostly answer to both, depending on who was calling him from the other room and whether or not his hearing aids were turned up. This was also the time where he (reluctantly) cheered for the South Carolina Gamecocks when Vandy wasn’t playing.

He carried the titles of leader, GrandBobby, Dad, and husband, but Bobby cherished the label of Christ-follower more than anything else. To know Bobby was to know his faith in Jesus. The gospel informed everything about the way he lived, worked, loved, and led. You couldn’t know him without feeling like you knew a bit more about the character and goodness of the Lord. In every valley in his life - especially during his battle with cancer beginning in January 2022 - Bobby said, “God is in control, and I trust him 100%.” He never complained for a moment during that journey (except when he was supposed to take medicine on a schedule, because “I have a process”). He served and loved his local churches: Minor Hill Baptist Church in his early years, and Highland Baptist Church since 1963. He’d want you to know that there’s no substitute for a life that’s built on the foundation of Jesus Christ, and he’s more alive now than he’s ever been, because his eternity was secure. He frequently paraphrased Philippians 1:21: “If I live, I win. If I die, I win.”

Bobby Franks won.

He was born June 1, 1939 to the late E.W. and Warren Ada Cole Franks.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Nell Long Franks, his sister, Patsy Franks Herndon, and his nephew, Marty Herndon.

Survivors include his wife Sandra Young Franks of Pulaski, his sons, David Franks of Pulaski and Danny Franks (Merriem) of Durham, N.C., his daughter, Debbie Franks Gowan (Kerry) of Athens, his grandchildren, Lindsey Franks, Lauren Franks, Lexy Franks Herron (Mikey), Rob Franks (Maddie), and their mother Lynnae Blackwell, Dane Whitworth (Candice), Mallory Whitworth, and their father Mark Whitworth, Jacob Franks (Summer), Austin Franks (Alyssa), Jase Franks (Carleigh), Haven Franks, Jackson Gowan (Taylor), and Anna Harper Myers (Will), his great grandchildren, Alaina and Everly Herron, Ronin, Rayne, and Kara Whitworth, Skylar Franks, and soon to be great grandchildren Wright Myers and Alfie Franks, and numerous nieces and nephews.

Visitation with the family will be held from 4:00 until 8:00 p.m. Monday, June 5, 2023 at Highland Baptist Church, where Funeral Services will begin at 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday, June 6, 2023. The family will also receive friends beginning at 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday.

Entombment to follow at Giles Memory Gardens.

The Franks family extends a special thanks to Dr. Charles Haney and the team at Physicians and Surgeons, Dr. Kent Shih and the team at Tennessee Oncology / St. Thomas Hospital, Dr. Elizabeth Louie and the team at NHC Pulaski, and Kaitlin Moran and the team at Sarah Cannon Cancer Research Institute. Each of you served Bobby so well during his final days. He loved each of you, and we’re grateful for you.

Memorial Contributions may be made to Highland Baptist Church, 1823 Mill Street, Pulaski, TN 38478, or The Sarah Cannon Cancer Institute, 2410 Patterson St., Nashville, TN 37203.