Obituary of James Franklin

James Rodman Franklin, born in Chattanooga on July 19, 1932, died before sunrise on October 10, 2013, at Emerald-Hodgson Hospital in Sewanee, TN. He was 81 years old. Jim, or "James R.," was a renowned fine artist and regionally and nationally recognized as an architect, facilitator, teacher, and author. A graduate of the Baylor School, he received a Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Architecture degrees from the Georgia Institute of Technology (1954, 1955) and a Master of Science degree from the California Polytechnic State University (CalPoly), 1999). He began and ended his architecture career at the Chattanooga firm started by his father, Selmon T. Franklin Associates (1956-1964), Now Franklin Associates Architects (2005-2010). In between, he led his own firm in Chattanooga, Franklin Design Group, Inc. (1967-1987); served as the Vice President and Group executive (1985-1989) and then the Resident Fellow (1989-1995) of the American Institute of Architects (AI)) in Washington, DC; taught architecture as a Resident Fellow and then Lecturer at CalPoly (1995-2005); served as a consultant, educator, and facilitator at hundreds of firms and seminars; and showed his paintings throughout the southeast, in California, and as an invited artist in Norway. He wrote or edited numerous publications, including contribution to An Architects' Handbook for Professional Practice (AIA 1997, 1994) and authorship of Architect's Professional Practice Manual (McGraw-Hill 2000). Perhaps the most prestigious of the many design and service awards he received was being named the 1999 Edward C. Kemper Award Winner by the National Board of Directors of the AIA. His designs grace buildings and parks, and his paintings adorn walls, across Tennessee and the region. He was predeceased by daughter, Charlotte Llewellyn Franklin; sister, Nancy Franklin Hartung, and son, Robert Warren Brice Scott. He is survived by wife, Sara McKinney Franklin of Monteagle, TN; brother, Selmon T. Franklin, Jr. of Signal Mountain; sons, James Jeffery Franklin of Denver, Colorado, Henry Trotter Franklin of Chattanooga, Thomas McKinney Warren Scott of Signal Mountain; grandsons, James Joseph Warren Scott of Signal Mountain and Tyler Milne Franklin of Madison, WI; granddaughters, Charlotte Ellen Franklin of Chattanooga, Sarah Margaret Franklin of Denver, Mason Trotter Franklin of Denver and Emma Lee DeVerdery Franklin of Denver; and great-grandson, Robert Daniel Warren Scott of Signal Mountain. Jim thanks Crystal, Joeanne, and Sharon for their abiding care until the end, as well as April and Michelle. Memorial contributions, in lieu of flowers, may be made to Emerald-Hodgson Hospital, or the Monteagle Sunday School Assembly, Services will be held at 2:00 P.M. on Wednesday, October 16, at St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Chattanooga, with visitation from 1:00 - 2:00 P.M. followed by a burial service at Forest Hills Cemetery in St. Elmo. Funeral arrangements are by Cumberland Funeral Home of Monteagle. On line condolences may be made at www.cumberlandfuneralhome.net.