Cover photo for Benjamin "Ben" Troy Franklin's Obituary
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Benjamin "Ben" Troy Franklin

June 18, 1931 — August 12, 2022

Aiken

Benjamin "Ben" Troy Franklin

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Rev. Benjamin "Ben" Troy Franklin U.S. Air Force MSGT Retired

Aiken, SC—Ninety-one years ago in North Page, WV, Ben arrived as the 13th child of his parents John & Lillie Mae Franklin on June 18, 1931. The doctor looked at Lillie Mae and said he was naming this one, Benjamin. He spent his childhood in North Page and Beards Fork area playing baseball as often as he could. He met the love of his life, Pat, as a teenager at Kincaid Church of God. Ben joined the Army at age 15 (by forging his mother’s signature & lying about his age) for a short stint. Tried working in Detroit but decided a career in the Air Force was best.   For the next twenty plus years, he and Pat went from Langley AFB (VA) to Bedford (VA) to Ramstein AFB (Germany) to Bolling AFB (Washington, D.C.) where he finished his military service. While at Bolling AFB, he was in the Honor Guard serving at the funerals for President Kennedy, President Eisenhower, and Douglas McArthur. Leaving the military, Ben spent the next twenty years working for the Federal Government with the U.S. Capitol Police, U.S. Postal Service, and U.S. Marshall Service. After forty plus years with the Federal Government, God called Ben to the ministry where he served faithfully until his death in West Virginia and Aiken, SC. Dear to his heart was ministering to the sick and those incarcerated. Ben thoroughly enjoyed playing games with anyone who would play, traveling with his family, reading his beloved scriptures, and honoring America. He laughed, sang (out of tune) and lived life to the fullest every day. He is preceded in death by his parents and all brothers & sisters. Ben leaves behind his wife of 69 years Patricia (Pat); his son, Ben David; his daughter, Brenda (Gary) McCollum; grandchildren Stephanie McCollum, Doug (Stephanie) McCollum, and Andy McCollum; and two great grandchildren Jane Aurora (7yrs) and Bennet Alan (5yrs) McCollum. In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to the Lighthouse Baptist Church (Aiken, SC) or the Jones Avenue Church of God (Oak Hill, WV),

Two funerals to be held – one for his “southern” family and one for his “northern” family.

Southern funeral: August 27th @ Lighthouse Baptist Church / 2094 Columbia Hwy N / Aiken, SC beginning @ 11:00am

Northern funeral with full military honors: September 17th @ Jones Avenue Church of God

420 Jones Avenue / Oak Hill, WV beginning @ 1:00pm

COLE FUNERAL HOME 1544 UNIVERSITY PKWY (118 BYPASS) AIKEN, SC 29801 803-648-7175. Please sign the online registry at www.colefuneralhomeinc.net.

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Past Services

Celebration of Life

Saturday, August 27, 2022

Starts at 11:00 am (Eastern time)

Lighthouse Baptist Church

2094 Columbia Hwy N, Aiken, SC 29805

This service if for Ben's "southern" family

Enter your phone number above to have directions sent via text. Standard text messaging rates apply.

Celebration of Life

Saturday, September 17, 2022

Starts at 1:00 pm (Eastern time)

Jones Ave Church of God

420 Jones Ave, Oak Hill, WV 25901

This service is for Ben's "northern" family

Enter your phone number above to have directions sent via text. Standard text messaging rates apply.

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