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Tony Franz
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| Tony Franz |
April 24, 2010
Tony Franz was born in Cheboygan, Mich. on Valentines Day, 1961. He graduated from high school in Mackinaw City, Mich. in 1979. In 1981, he moved to Arizona. On June 3, 1989, he married his high school sweetheart, and his life was complete when his daughter Kirsten was born on Aug. 29, 1990. On April 24, after a short battle with ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease), he decided to keep his tee time in heaven.
Tony did construction work for a few years before he started his own auto shop in Benson with Jimmy Teague. He then worked at Cochise Auto and Benson Auto for many years before moving his work to Willcox. He was the lead automotive technician at Brewers Truck repair for 14 years.
Tony moved from basketball to softball to golf throughout his life. As it turns out, golf provided the greatest challenges for the competitive Tony, and gave him the greatest memories with his friends. If Tony wasn't at the golf course on a Saturday, it's because he was playing with his toys at the Yuma sand dunes.
He is survived by his wife, Trudi, and daughter, Kirsten, his parents, Skip and Sharon Franz, brother Terry (Jan) Franz, sister Stacy (Steve) Martin, and "Aunt" Donna O'Brien. The family in Michigan includes many aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, nephews and in-laws, as well as many friends all over the country who love him.
Memorial services will be held Saturday afternoon, May 8, at 3 p.m. at Community Presbyterian Church, followed by a reception that will be held at Turquoise Hills Golf & RV.
In lieu of flowers the family requests donations be made to the Muscular Dystrophy Association for ALS research, or the ALS Association of Arizona, to help families fighting this disease.
Tony Franz was born in Cheboygan, Mich. on Valentines Day, 1961. He graduated from high school in Mackinaw City, Mich. in 1979. In 1981, he moved to Arizona. On June 3, 1989, he married his high school sweetheart, and his life was complete when his daughter Kirsten was born on Aug. 29, 1990. On April 24, after a short battle with ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease), he decided to keep his tee time in heaven.
Tony did construction work for a few years before he started his own auto shop in Benson with Jimmy Teague. He then worked at Cochise Auto and Benson Auto for many years before moving his work to Willcox. He was the lead automotive technician at Brewers Truck repair for 14 years.
Tony moved from basketball to softball to golf throughout his life. As it turns out, golf provided the greatest challenges for the competitive Tony, and gave him the greatest memories with his friends. If Tony wasn't at the golf course on a Saturday, it's because he was playing with his toys at the Yuma sand dunes.
He is survived by his wife, Trudi, and daughter, Kirsten, his parents, Skip and Sharon Franz, brother Terry (Jan) Franz, sister Stacy (Steve) Martin, and "Aunt" Donna O'Brien. The family in Michigan includes many aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, nephews and in-laws, as well as many friends all over the country who love him.
Memorial services will be held Saturday afternoon, May 8, at 3 p.m. at Community Presbyterian Church, followed by a reception that will be held at Turquoise Hills Golf & RV.
In lieu of flowers the family requests donations be made to the Muscular Dystrophy Association for ALS research, or the ALS Association of Arizona, to help families fighting this disease.
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| Melvin J. Wolfel |
Reader Tributes
The following are comments from the readers. In no way do they represent the view of bensonnews-sun.com.
Charlie wrote on May 4, 2010 10:11 PM:
" He was a great guy. It's hard to believe that anyone so full of life could be taken so quickly. You're going to be greatly missed Tony, that's for sure. "
Randy wrote on May 7, 2010 10:46 AM:
" One of the nicest and well dispositioned people I've ever know. He opened his world including family and friends to me and mine and I will always be grateful to him, Trudi and Kirsten for that. I'm so glad for the time I've spent with Tony and very sad there will be no more on this earth. He will be missed by many. "Randy's Room" will always be in my memory. I love and miss the "Big Shooter". "
Shelley Brostrom wrote on May 4, 2010 6:49 PM:
I love you Tony, we never played here on earth, but when I reunite with you in heaven we Shall golf and golf and golf. "