William "Bill" Acree Franklin
Obituary
William “Bill” Acree Franklin went to be with loved ones early on May 17, 2020, at the age of 78. He was surrounded by family and peacefully went to be with his wife, Val.
He is preceded by his wife Valerie Vogt Franklin, leaving his two sons, Richard M. Franklin and wife Heather Rae Franklin of Burlington, NC and Benjamin L. Franklin and wife Lisa B. Franklin of Raleigh, NC. He leaves behind 5 grandchildren, Alex M., Greyson M., Allison P., Kelsey B., and Morgan H. Franklin. He leaves behind his sister, Susan Franklin Arter and her husband Gary E. Arter of Longs, SC.
William Acree Franklin was born on November 14, 1941, in High Point, NC, Guilford County, to Julian Clyde Franklin and Georgia Anderson Smith.
Bill met the love of his life Valerie L. Vogt through his sister while attending East Carolina University and married her on December 11, 1965, at Camp Lejeune, NC, at the Base Protestant Chapel.
After graduating from Oak Ridge Military Academy, he enlisted in the Army, serving several tours in Vietnam, and achieving the rank of Lt Colonel ending a 24-year career with the military.
When his military career was over, he and family moved to Burlington, NC where he worked for AT&T for another 16 years. During his time in Burlington, the family attended The Church of the Holy Comforter. Bill was very active as the Scoutmaster for Troop 39 at Macedonia Lutheran Church. During his scouting tenure, he mentored many Eagle scouts, was a Woodbadge graduate, and Order of the Arrow member (Brotherhood). He was an avid member of the NC Senior Democratic Party and the Alamance County Senior Democratic Party and held several key positions assisting the party. In Bill’s spare time he liked to read about history and politics and always enjoyed a conversation about both these subjects.
In lieu of flowers, the family wishes donations be given to the following: The Church of the Holy Comforter ( https://hc-b.org/donate.html ) in Burlington, NC or the Hospice of Alamance County ( https://www.authoracare.org/give/donate-online/ ).
To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of William "Bill" Acree Franklin, please visit our floral store.