George Irvin Franklin

In his youth he was a star basketball player with the YMCA city teams. When scouts wanted to bring him elsewhere, he turned them down, unwilling to leave his beloved loyal teammates. He lived his life with this gift. He also loved his years with Grant Hi Alumni, 55+ years with a bridge group, many years with the husbands of sorority wives once a month meeting at L. Oyster Bar in downtown Portland. He was married to Patricia Padden for 51 years before her passing in 2001. He adopted her daughters, Lee, Fran, and Geneva, and later welcomed another daughter into their fold when an adult, Patricia J. His life work was selling insurance, which awarded him many wonderful trips both home and abroad. His special treat was sailing with the Skei family from Mexico to Alaska on their boat.

In 2006, he married Phyllis, also a widow, and entered another chapter to his life, enjoying gathering of yet more family members, with trips to the Grand Canyon, Hawaii, and Yellowstone, with her children and families of Jennifer, Carolyn, Andrea, and Mark. At least once a year, all members of his OR families met each Christmas Eve at daughter Fran and Jerry's, a tradition only interrupted once, during the Covid pandemic.

George was pre-deceased by his daughter, Lee Blair and her husband, John Blair, his grandson Steve Blair, and his granddaughter-in-law, Marian Blair. He is survived by his wife, Phyllis, his three remaining daughters, 10 grandchildren, 14 great grandchildren, 4 step-daughters, 1 stepson, and 4 great step-children. In lieu of any gifts, he loved St John Fisher Catholic Church; donations are appreciated to it or to Catholic Charities.