Edwin Franklin

Dr. Edwin Hood Franklin
January 4, 1936 - May 23, 2012

Dr. Edwin Hood Frankin, 76, of Waco, passed away Wednesday, May 23, 2012. Services will be 10 a.m. Friday, May 25, 2012 at the Waco Memorial Park Mausoleum Chapel with Rev. Amos Humphries officiating. Betty Hardy, Dr. Franklin's office manager and dear friend, will give a short eulogy. There will be no visitation.

Dr. Franklin was born to Clarence and Mardelle Hood Franklin January 4, 1936 in Houston, Texas. Both parents were Baylor University graduates. Dr. Franklin graduated from Houston Public Schools (Houston Lamar High School) in 1953. He was selected to the Parade Magazine All-American High School Basketball team. He played in the National North-South Basketball game in 1953, a forerunner of the now present McDonald's All-American Game. He was inducted into the Texas High School Basketball Hall of Fame in 1985 in Waco, Texas.

Dr. Franklin played basketball on a full scholarship for Baylor University and was co-captain of the team in 1957. After graduation from Baylor University in 1957, he became head basketball coach at S.F. Austin High School in Houston for two years. He was the youngest head basketball coach in the State of Texas at age 21.

He resigned to enter the University of Texas Dental School. Upon graduation, Dr. Franklin served two years in the U.S. Air Force as a dental officer with the rank of Captain. Dr. Franklin returned to Houston to establish a private practice of Dentistry. In 1968 he ran for a position
on the nation's sixth largest School District Board of Education School Board. Dr. Franklin served for four years and brought many new ideas for good education to the School District.

He served on two Bank Boards of Directors. In 1970 he was elected to be Young Man of the Year by the Houston Jaycees. He also placed in the annual Outstanding Young Texans Book.
In 1969 he was awarded the Layman's Athletic Person of the Year by the Texas High School Coaches Association for contribution to athletics in the public schools of Texas. In 1978 Dr. Franklin was selected by former Athletic Director of Baylor University, Bill Menefee (who years ago was his freshman basketball coach) to serve as a director on the Board of the Baylor Stadium Corporation. He also served on the Freeman Center Board of Directors.

During 1989 - 1990, he took some time off from his dental practice to serve as a employee of the Region 12 Education Service Center as a Drug Education presenter to Region 12 public schools. A year later he served nine months as Associate Publisher for Craig Steven's at his Publishing Company in the dental field of publications. He then returned to full dental practice.
Dr. Franklin has been a faithful fan supporter of Lady Bear Basketball and Softball.

Dr. Franklin gave 18 years as a volunteer dentist one day a week to the Waco-McLennan Dental Clinic. Dr. Franklin practiced a total of 44 years in dentistry and loved all of his patients and they loved him. He was a lifetime member of the American Dental Association, the Texas Dental Association and the Centex Dental Society.

Dr. Franklin was a member of Park Lake Baptist Church. When asked if he were going to Heaven, he would answer: "Yes, I gave my life to Jesus Christ and was born again spiritually. I went to the Cross and accepted Christ's death on the Cross in my place. I was washed white by the Blood of the Cross. The royal Blood of Heaven flowed thru my veins while here on earth. I was promised the robe of righteousness and the Crown of Life by Jesus himself. My name is written in the Lamb's Book of Life. I expect to enter God's Heaven because, like Christ, I defeated death, hell and the grave. It is nothing I did to get to heaven, it was what Christ did at the Cross that gets me to Heaven." "Open the Eastern Gate, I'm coming in".

Dr. Franklin was preceded in death by his parents; his wife, Lee Norvell Franklin in 2001; and a grandson, Dylan Perkins.

He is survived by his two daughters, Misty Perkins and husband, David of Alvin, Texas and Jamie Wall and husband, Richard of Cedar Park, Texas; four grandchildren; and a very special friend and companion, Rae Peoples of Waco.

In the future, if you remember anything about me as a child of God, the greatest accomplishment I did in my life was to accept Jesus Christ as my Savior and Lord and to have my name written in the Lamb's Book of Life.

In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts can be given to the Baylor "B" Association, 1 Bear Place 97108, Waco, Tx 76798.