David Dye

Franklin David Dye, 85, of Big Canoe, Georgia, previously Smyrna, Georgia, passed away on Tuesday, February 15, 2022. David was known to family and friends for his sense of humor, amazing intelligence, willingness to help everyone, and his ability to fix anything (except broken balloons). Prior to being diagnosed with Alzheimer's, no one remembers him without a pocket knife and a roll of duct tape.

David was born in Atlanta, Georgia on February 8, 1937, to Garnett Jethro Dye and Mary Reese Hubbard Dye. He was an Army ROTC Cadet at Clemson, and a member of the Clemson Rifle Team. By his sophomore year, David was considered one of the top marksmen in the country. In July, 1960, he was awarded the Distinguished Rifleman Badge for marksmanship. David enlisted in the Army later that year and soon joined Special Troops, United States Army, Europe, as a member of the Rifle Team, where he continued to excel in international competition. It was at a rifle competition at Camp Perry, Ohio in 1961, that he met his future wife, Carol. He and Carol married in January, 1963, in Heidelberg, Germany. David was discharged from the army that fall, and he and Carol settled in Georgia, where they lived for 59 years. David worked at Georgia Tech in the chemistry lab while earning his Electrical Engineering degree from Southern Polytechnic. He began working for Lockheed Martin in Marietta, Georgia in 1966. He remained at the Lockheed Low Speed Wind Tunnel until he retired in 1996. He continued his passion for shooting at Riverbend Gun Club in Dawsonville, GA, and volunteering for the U.S. Olympic Shooting Team as well as the U.S. Special Olympics and the Paralympic Shooting Team. He also served as a youth mentor to promote marksmanship and gun safety with kids. In addition to shooting, he continued his passion for building and fixing things and always had a project going in his workshop. Whether he was designing wings of an airplane, helping build a house, or making race cars,castles, or dinosaurs for birthday parties, it was with the same level of perfection and detail. No job or project was too small for him to put forth his absolute best. David also loved travel, photography, fishing and exploring nature. He was always eager to share these experiences with family and friends. He is survived by his wife of 59 years, Carol Louise Fishell Dye, his two daughters Laura Jean Dye Kaiser and Teresa (Terri) Lynn Dye Crawford, and his sister, Gail Dye Torchio. He was also known as Papaw to three wonderful grandchildren, Amanda, Will, and Emily, as well as his great-grandchildren, Marvin Jr., Kameron, and Nicholas. He will be greatly missed by all of his family and friends. A celebration of David’s life will be planned later in the spring so it can be held outside. In lieu of flowers, please consider donations to Alzheimer’s Association, the Wounded Warrior Project, or the National Audubon Society.