Donald Richard Lee Franklin was born and raised in Manhattan. He attended Dartmouth College and then left to pursue two degrees at Lehigh University. After graduating from college, Don joined General Patton at the end of 1944 during the Battle of the Bulge as a forward observer.
After army service and starting a family, he and his wife relocated to Short Hills, New Jersey. One career achievement was creating disposable surgical drapes, saving millions from operating-room infection.
Although losing his eyesight from macular degeneration in his forties, Don continued to trade for his own investment account. He moved to The Villages from Ridgefield, Connecticut in 2004. Here in The Villages, Don co-founded the croquet club and began the local chapter of the Mensa club, for which he served as leader for 15 years.
Don will be interred in Arlington National Cemetery. He is survived by his wife Dorothy, two daughters, and two granddaughters. He was unfailingly upbeat and cheerful throughout his life in the face of any and all adversity, for which his family is greatly appreciative.