Charles James Franks, 92, of West Newton, formerly of Brighton, passed away peacefully on February 27, 2026, after being surrounded by his loving family, friends & neighbors.
Beloved husband for over 65 years to the late Cynthia (Hunt) Franks; loving father of Chuck Franks of Onset, Michael and Debra Franks of Harwich, Kevin and Caryl Franks of Foxboro, William Franks, Stephen and Alison Franks, and Christine Franks, all of Newton. Beloved “Papa Charlie” to his 12 adoring grandchildren, Kristen, Jacqueline, Jennifer, Katelyn, Mark, Melanie, Cody, Nick, Zach, Kyle, Casey, and Cory; along with his 13 great grandchildren, Olivia, Mikey, Blake, Aubree, Jack, Chace, Sloane, Wyatt, Gunnar, Annabelle, Rorik, Hunter, Winter and Payton; and his 5 dogchildren Kannon, Oscar, Tommy, Falco, and Flora. Son of the late Charles and Catherine Franks; and brother of the late Alice Franks.
Charlie was a proud US Navy Veteran, who served in the Korean War. He was a dedicated employee of Coca-Cola for 42 years; a self-proclaimed, semi-pro golfer; and a retired snowplow expert. His most favorite times were spent dancing with his wife Cindy at social events; coaching the neighborhood kids of Brighton; and watching his great grandchildren’s sporting activities.
Funeral from the Lehman Reen & McNamara Funeral Home, 63 Chestnut Hill Ave (nr Brighton Courthouse) Brighton on Tuesday March 10th at 9:30am. Followed by a Funeral Mass in Our Lady of Help of Christians Church, 573 Washington Street, Newton at 10:30am. Relatives and friends are kindly invited to attend. Interment will be at Cambridge Cemetery. Visiting Hours on Monday March 9th from 4-7pm in the funeral home.
In lieu of flowers, please make donations to the Newton Firefighters Children’s Fund www.NFDchildrensfund.com
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