Virginia C. Franklin

NORTHPORT – Virginia Cooke Franklin, age 86, of Northport, died March 25, 2016, at Northport Medical Center. Services will be 11 a.m. Wednesday, March 30, 2016, at Sunset Funeral Home with Rev. Mary An Wilson and Rev. Jonathan Ivy officiating. Burial will follow in Tuscaloosa Memorial Park with Sunset Funeral Home, a Dignity Memorial Provider, directing. Visitation will be one hour prior to services at the funeral home.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Dr. Elton Franklin; sister, Margaret Cooke Vincent; and brother, George W. Cooke.

Survivors include her sons, Michael C. Franklin (Wendy) of Starkville, Miss. and Patrick Cooke Franklin of Northport, Ala.; grandchildren, Alysha Borum and Aaron Keel; and great-grandchild, Addie Borum.Virginia was born in Memphis, Tenn. and was the daughter of George Wax Cooke, Sr. and Pauline Boone Cooke.

Education was always important to Virginia. She received her Bachelor of Science degree from The University of Memphis, a Master of Arts degree from the University of Alabama and an Education Specialist degree from Mississippi State University.She enjoyed a successful career teaching at schools in Alabama and Mississippi, retiring in 1990 as a Business Education instructor at The University of Alabama.It was in graduate school at The University of Alabama that she met her future husband, Dr. Elton Franklin. They were married for fifty years and had two sons. Virginia loved her family with all of her heart. They meant the absolute world to her.She also loved her church family at Northport Baptist Church. She was an active member of the Friendship Sunday School Class, the Fesmire-Moore Circle and the Trailblazers senior group. She was especially proud that she had named her Sunday School Class, having been in a previous Friendship Sunday School class in Mississippi.Virginia loved to read and work in her garden, and was a passionate fan of the University of Alabama athletic teams. She especially loved attending UA gymnastics meets and was a longtime season ticket holder.Virginia loved the many cultural activities of the Tuscaloosa area. She was a longtime season ticket holder with the UA Theatre Department and loved seeing the plays they presented. She loved all kinds of music and was equally happy listening to George Strait and Willie Nelson as she was attending performances of the Tuscaloosa Symphony.She had a lifelong love of travel, perhaps first inspired by her summer work during college years at a gift shop in Yellowstone National Park. In her later years, she enjoyed many wonderful trips with her son, Patrick. She loved visiting Alaska by cruise ship and was especially fond of visiting New Orleans, La.Friends and family will miss her wonderful sense of humor and her great kindness to all she met.

Pallbearers will be Randy Perkins, Stuart McGregor, Joshua Cooke and Aaron Keel.

Honorary pallbearers are Northport Baptist Church family, Dan and Margaret Livingston, Margaret Ballentine, Elizabeth Reynolds, Laura Ballard, Betty Booth and IMPACT Breast Cancer Survivors Group.In lieu of flowers, the family suggests that donations be made to Northport Baptist Church, Northport, AL or the DCH Breast Cancer Foundation.