Obituary for Franklin Graham Hazen “Count your blessings, name them one by one”. Franklin was born in Chino, CA, on December 15, 1925. He shouldered a lot of responsibility, and by 17 he was serving in the U S Merchant Marines.
While in port in Boston, Massachusetts, he met and fell in love with his future wife, Prudence. They were married for 65 years before she passed away in 2009. Franklin worked in construction during the first twenty years of their married life, building hydroelectric dams in Nevada, Washington, and Idaho.
He had a love for education, and would always be taking a college class during his off hours. While living in Wenatchee, Washington, he took flying lessons and bought his own Cessna 140 so that he could fly to his job sites and his classes, not wanting to uproot his family to move. In 1973, he completed his bachelor’s degree and began teaching elementary school, which he did for the next ten years.
Earning a master’s degree in counseling from Washington State University, he spent his last five working years as a high school counselor in Colfax, Washington. Retiring to South Casco, Maine, he worked on building a house in the woods and enjoyed twenty years living in Maine. When his children were young, Franklin would read every night to them, standing in the hallway so that each one could hear.
Later, when he had to be away at a job site, he would record his voice ahead of time so that the reel-to-reel tape player could be turned on at night. Franklin loved to sing and make music to the Lord. He was a song leader in various churches for most of his adult life.
He had a very caring heart for others and always served other people. He put others first and himself last. I Peter 4:11b, “If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ”.
Always gregarious and friendly, he made friends wherever he went. While in Santa Barbara for the last ten years, he made wonderful friends at Friendship Manor and then at Heritage House. The staff at both places were warm and helpful.
He grew to love his sweet caretaker, Lyuda Vertsekha. The family would also like to thank Bob MacDonald, Trustee. Franklin is survived by his four children: Susan Hazen-Hammond (Ken) in Santa Fe, NM; Steven Hazen in Northridge, CA; Mary Osgood (Rick) in Santa Barbara, CA; and Mike Hazen (Carolyn) in Richmond, VA.
He is also survived by a sister, Nellie Mae Summers, in Phoenix, AZ, as well as six grandchildren: William (Monica), Peter, Jonathan (Esther), Matthew (Mariah), Julia (Jon), and Jesse. A memorial service was held at Friendship Manor in Goleta at 2 p.m., Saturday, September 29th, and another in Casco, Maine, at the Casco Alliance Church at 10 a.m. on Saturday, October 6th.
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