Jerry Lynn Franklin was, by every account of those who knew him, one of the good guys. Born September 3, 1950, in Dumas, Texas, he passed away peacefully in his home in Amarillo on the afternoon of Tuesday, April 28, 2026.
Those he left behind have reached for the same words again and again to describe him: Kind-hearted. A gentle soul. A man who left every place he visited and everyone he met better off for having known him. Jerry grew up in Dumas, where his story truly began his senior year of high school, the year a fetching young girl named Jo Ann Cartwright walked into his life. At the time, Jerry was sitting first chair trumpet in the marching band. She immediately dethroned him, and he didn't mind one bit. He would spend the next 57 years dedicated to her happiness and her care, even as aging finally took its course late in life. His first concern was always his blushing bride. Until the day he passed, he made sure to remind everyone around him just how much he loved her, how she was "still the one!"
Jerry spent more than 30 years building a life in both Dumas and Canadian, Texas -- working, raising his beloved daughter and son, and, of course, golfing. A scratch golfer and multi-year club champion at the Canadian Golf Course, he was equally at home on a pitching mound, training his hunting dog, camping in the mountains, or fishing from his bass boat. He loved being outdoors and lived it fully. He also worked for decades in the natural gas fields of West Texas in pipeline construction and as a compressor supervisor. His faith was quiet and deep. A proud member of First Baptist Church in Canadian, he taught Sunday school, sang bass in the choir, and stepped up when needed to become the sound guy extraordinaire. He loved reading and studying the Bible listening to many different preachers on his cell phone. He was more often behind the camera than in front of it in home videos and family photos, but he was always there. He loved to sit back and take in all the noise, even when he wasn't one of the main sources of it. He loved being surrounded by those he loved.
He is preceded in death by his mother, Nadine Brown.
Jerry is survived by his beloved wife of 57 years, Jo Ann (Cartwright) Franklin of Amarillo; his daughter, Traci Franklin of Cedar Springs, Michigan; his son, Scott Franklin, and wife Lori of Plainview, Texas; grandchildren Jessicca Johnson, Brittany Nichols, Emily Franklin, Timothy Franklin, and Zachary Franklin; one great-grandson, Josef Johnson; two sisters, Trudy Franklin and husband Mike Cantu, and Terri Klock and husband Steve Hart; his aunt, Maybelle Buchanan; nine cousins; and numerous nieces, nephews, and their families.
A Memorial Service will be held on Wednesday, May 6, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. at Memorial Park Funeral Home in Amarillo, Texas.
In lieu of flowers, Jerry would best be honored by donations to the Missions Account of South Georgia Baptist Church, 5209 S. Georgia, Amarillo, TX.
"This is the gas man, signing off, over and out" - Jerry Franklin
