Mary Grantham Franklin

Mary was born on March 30, 1926, in Montgomery Alabama. She graduated from Sidney Lanier High School in 1944. After losing her father (Fox Grantham) when she was 7 years old, she, her mother (Mary Davis Grantham), sister (Virginia Grantham Sylvia) and brother (William Fox Grantham), worked hard to sustain their household, small plot of land, and a few farm animals.

As a young woman Mary went to work in Montgomery for the Department of Defense as a typist. She met her future husband, Joe T. Franklin, on her daily bus commute. They married on March 20, 1948, and went on to raise six children, Joe, Jr., Thomas (Tom), Rebecca (Becky), Rachel, Mary Elizabeth (Lisa) and Jeffrey (Jeff).

Mary continued to work full time as a civilian employee at Fort Rucker, Alabama, and Fort Monroe, Virginia. She became a medical secretary at Fort Rucker and retired in June 1973 as secretary to the Deputy Chief of Staff for Force Development, Headquarters, United States Continental Army Command (CONARC) at Fort Monroe.

In retirement, Mary enjoyed having time to sew, knit, read, travel, and spend time with her children and many grandchildren. She discovered daytime soaps, enjoyed excursions to the beach in her VW camper van, took classes at the local community college, and began exploring the world wide web. Mary took a risk investing in a new company that she had very little information about, AOL, and came out the better for it.

Later in life, Mary enjoyed watching Downton Abbey, reading the Washington Post, discussing politics, researching her genealogy, and visiting with her large family that grew to include 13 grandchildren and 17 great-grandchildren. She lived a long and productive life, reaching the age of 98.

Mary’s Christian faith was central to her throughout her life and was particularly important during difficult times. The family is grateful for the kindness and care provided by Pickersgill Retirement Community in Towson, Maryland, during her final years and, with Gilcrest Hospice, during the final days of her life. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to Pickersgill via pickersgillretirement.org or Gilcrest Hospice at gilchristcares.org.

A public service to celebrate Mary Franklin’s life will be held on Saturday, May 18, at 1.00 pm at Parklawn-Wood Funeral Home, located at 2551 North Armistead Avenue, Hampton, Virginia. Private burial will follow on Sunday, May 19, at Peninsula Memorial Park in Newport News.