Franklin Southworth

Franklin Chester Southworth III, a veteran, scholar, linguist, and loving father, grandfather, great-grandfather, and friend, passed away peacefully on September 16th at the age of 96. Born in Framingham, Massachusetts, Franklin was the son of Franklin Southworth II, a physician, and Margaret Boynton. He spent much of his life in New York City and maintained a deep connection to Little Compton, Rhode Island, which he referred to as his “favorite place on Earth”.

Franklin is survived by his second wife, Joan Mencher, and children: Michele Southworth, Suzanne Southworth, Devaraj Southworth, and Leela Southworth and his grandchildren: Jamie Schall (43); Lindsay Southworth (38); Tyler Schall (34); Julia Bernstein (38); Matthew Bernstein (34); Emily Bernstein (28); Ahnika Southworth (13); and Suriya Southworth (10); and his great-grandchildren: Logan Schall (10); Zion Schall (5); Gabriel Hernandez (10) and Xavier Hernandez (10).

A gifted student, Franklin earned his undergraduate degree in linguistics from Harvard. While at Harvard, he trained with the varsity swim team and was active in their historic choral society, one of the most prestigious and oldest collegiate choirs in America.

After college, he served his country the U.S. Army during the Korean War, and was awarded both the Army of Occupation Medal and the National Defense Service Medals.

He later earned a Ph.D. in Linguistics from Yale in 1958, where he fell in love with Sanskrit. He was then awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to pursue advanced studies in linguistics at the University of Liège, Belgium.

During his career, Franklin became fluent in six languages and 16 Indian dialects, achievements that fueled both his scholarship and teaching.

Franklin had a distinguished academic career teaching South Asian linguistics at the University of Pennsylvania for 42 years from 1952 to 2001. He was a celebrated professor, loved by all, and renowned for his lectures on male/female communication, as well as traditional Indo-Aryan languages, including Hindi, Marathi, Urdu, and Sanskrit. He authored numerous books and papers and was a frequent speaker, collectively contributing significantly to the field of linguistics.

Franklin's most widely cited and recognized book is Linguistic Archaeology of South Asia. This book, published by Routledge Press, underscores the scholarly weight of the work.

Beyond academia, Franklin consistently sought his own ways to find joy, well into his late 80s. He was a choir singer for Chelsea Songs, a poet, a composer, and a skilled cook, inspiring creativity in every community he was part of. His intellectual rigor was matched by his warmth, humor, and devotion to family.

Franklin leaves behind a legacy of scholarship, music, and love. He will be remembered as a husband, father, grandfather, teacher, and friend who lived with integrity and purpose.

A memorial service to celebrate his life will be held on October 17th at Riverside Memorial Chapel, located at 180 W. 76th Street (Amsterdam Avenue) in New York City, from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. All those who loved him or his family are welcome.

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