Hal LeRoy Franklin

Hal LeRoy Franklin was born on February 5, 1947, in Denver, Colorado to his loving parents Gus and Beatrice Franklin. Hal was blessed with a large and loving family; he was the fourth of six children.

Both his mother and father were hard workers and instilled the importance of family, faith and work ethic at an early age. As a young child, he was one of the few youth to be accepted into the Junior Police Academy making his mother especially proud.

Hal was educated at Annunciation Catholic School and in the Denver Public School system.

He was a proud graduate of Manual High School, where he played baseball & attended college in California where he continued his love for baseball at the collegiate level. Here, he would become an avid LA Dodger fan, partly due to his favorite player Jackie Robinson, who served as a role model and who he spoke often of.

After college, Hal returned to Colorado to help raise his daughter and coined himself a “jack of all trades”. Over the years, he worked a variety of jobs; from laying carpet, driving for a Messaging Service (Speedy Messenger & Delivery), driving Beer Trucks, becoming a Sales Rep for Miller/Anheuser-Busch, driving a Bus for RTD & Selling Blinds at 3 Day Blinds, just to name a few.

He finally landed a job made for him, providing customer service for the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) where he used his remarkable customer service skills and his affinity for numbers & mathematics.

After more than 10 years, Hal retired from the IRS and spent his retirement enjoying his love of all sports, watching & cheering for the Denver Broncos, rooting for Dodgers & occasionally the Colorado Rockies. He was an avid coin, knife & sword collector and a jazz music enthusiast. He was a humorous, loving, kind man with an infectious laugh and smile that lit up any room.

To complete his stylish outfit selections, he would often include one of his fashionable hats.

Hal enjoyed talking sports & politics with his daughter Teresa & spending time with his granddaughter, Tiffanie, most of all.

Hal won the fight against Multiple Myeloma, Blood Cancer (5 years in remission) and many illnesses that are common when getting older, but he couldn’t fight the onset of Alzheimer and his weight and memory loss, took away his passion to live.

Hal was called home Sunday morning, September 24th, 2023, when he told his daughter, Teresa, he was ready to go.

Hal was preceded in death by his parents, Gus and Beatrice Franklin, his Brothers George, Larry, Michael & Sister, Vicki Sweets.

Those left to cherish his memory, Sister, Carole Ann Franklin, of Indiana, Daughter, Teresa Franklin-Harvey (Steve), Granddaughter, Tiffanie Washington & Clarissa Cason.

Forever friends Tommy & Carol Pace, a host of nieces, nephews, close relatives and many loyal friends.  

Hal will be greatly missed, gone but never forgotten.