John Richard (Dick) Franks, 81, passed away Saturday, June 18, 2011, at his Pullman home. Dick, as he preferred to be called, was born June 15, 1930, to John Edward Franks and Therma Walker in Oakley, Idaho. He was the oldest son in a family of eight.
He spent his childhood and school years in Oakley. After graduating as high school valedictorian, he attended the University of Idaho for a year and then transferred to Brigham Young University. Upon receiving his bachelor of arts degree in theater and speech, he was drafted into the U.S. Army and served as a communication and electronic specialist in Korea just before the end of the Korean War. He was honorably discharged as a corporal.
In 1954, he moved to Burley, Idaho, where he taught high school speech and drama, and there he met his future wife, Shirley, who was also a teacher. He completed a master's degree at BYU and then worked as a high-school guidance counselor. Dick pursued a doctorate degree at Michigan State University in speech and hearing science and, upon graduating in 1964, he accepted a faculty position at Washington State University where he officially retired after 31 years in 1995. Dick continued to teach audiology part time at WSU until 2005. He was for many years director of the WSU audiology clinic and was particularly well known for his quality teaching, service to the hard-of-hearing in the Pullman-Moscow area, and his work with Native American students at WSU.
Dick was an active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, serving in many different leadership and teaching positions through the years.
Dick and Shirley Knowles were married Aug. 22, 1956, in the Idaho Falls LDS Temple.
He is survived by his wife; sons, Jeffrey Franks and Marisol of Derwood, Md., John Franks and Valerie of Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada; daughter, Rebecca Franks of San Diego; nine grandchildren; as well as two brothers, two sisters and many nephews and nieces. He was preceded in death by his parents, two sisters, a brother and one grandchild, Caleb Franks.
A funeral service will be conducted at 1 p.m. Friday at the LDS Chapel on Orchard Drive in Pullman. There will be a viewing in the Relief Society Room of the church one hour prior to the service. Kimball Funeral Home of Pullman is caring for the family and online condolences may be sent to www.kimballfh.com.
