William Eugene “Gene” Franklin Jr., 64, of Sumter, a pastor and emergency services volunteer, died Nov. 11, 2008, at Palmetto Richland Memorial Hospital.
Born in Columbia, Franklin was pastor of both High Hills of Santee Baptist Church in Dalzell and Calvary Baptist Church in Pinewood.
He was an avid hunter and fisherman. He was an electrician, plumber and carpenter who built his own house and worked on his own vehicles. He served as a firefighter, EMT and Red Cross trainer. He was a member of the Sumter County Disaster Response Team. He was one of the first post-traumatic stress disorder counselors in Sumter County.
Survivors include his wife of 42 years, Christine “Tina” Rogers Colquitt Franklin, three children and 10 grandchildren.