Franklin Delano Young was born on March 13, 1947, in Excelsior, WV, to the union of Henry Garnel Young and Mary Emma (Jones) Young. He was the eighth child in a family of twelve children, seven boys and five girls. The Young family individually and collectively mourns the passing of our dearly beloved Franklin, who entered his eternal rest on May 10, 2025.

Franklin was a man of exceptional qualities and abilities who rose from humble beginnings, the son of a coal miner, Dad, and a stay-at-home Mom, to become a trailblazer, a role model, and an inspiration and motivator to many.

Franklin received his primary, secondary, and vocational education from the McDowell County School system in WV. Seeking to transform his life, escape the possibility of a life as a coal miner, and become a part of something bigger, Franklin joined the Navy in 1965. He served a three-year tour from 1965 to 1968, trained as a ship fitter, and received an honorable discharge upon completion of duty. The skills learned in the Navy benefited Franklin while serving and later in life with real estate ventures.

Franklin's work history includes positions at the United States Postal Service as a Finance Clerk, wherein he was responsible for financial transactions, accounting records, and related duties. The job was short-lived as Franklin desired something more challenging and rewarding. In 1970, Boston was one of the cities participating in the United States Model Cities Program, a federal initiative to address urban poverty and blight. In this position, his responsibilities included community planning, survey and data collection, community relations, cartography, and graphic work. Through knowledge gained from this position, Franklin and his brothers entered the real estate market by personally purchasing and rehabbing Department of Housing and Urban Development properties.

While working full-time, Franklin pursued post-secondary education by matriculating into dual programs at Boston State College, where he received degrees in Urban and Regional Planning and Business Administration on June 10, 1978. With a degree in hand, Franklin started the position of Compliance Officer at the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination "MCAD". In this position, he investigated complaints of discrimination in employment, housing, public accommodations, and other areas. Seeking to move away from investigation and case management, Franklin became a planner at the same agency. Planners focus on optimizing processes through computer-aided design and planning, as well as various software and tools to plan production, manage resources, and ensure efficiency. Franklin closed his career with the MCAD after twenty years and was acknowledged along with other state workers from various departments for exceptional service.

Franklin enjoyed a robust life in his spare time, including DIY simple home repairs to major whole-house remodels, and insignificant structural and design changes. For fun, he enjoyed motorcycling, boating, fishing, and trips to fun places with his daughters. He mentored and trained many young family members through shared activities and quality time spent together.

Franklin is survived by a loving and devoted wife of forty-one years, Pearl Brenda King-Young. Three daughters survive: Laurie (Shawn) Reid, mother, Lillian Wood; daughter, Serena Sebring, mother, Deborah Sebring; and son, Howard Young, mother, Edith Murphy. Six Grandchildren survive: Britiny Heard, Shawn Reid, Jr., Elijah Reid, Courtney Sebring, Bailey-Jo Wadlington, and Caleb Wadlington; and one Great-Grandchild, Zaniyah Heard.

Franklin was preceded in death by a daughter, Jessica Laura-Louise King-Young.