ELIZABETHVILLE • Christopher A. Franki, 50, of Elizabethville, died May 19, 2016, in an automobile accident on Route 225 in Mandata.
Chris was born Dec. 20, 1965, in the Whitestone neighborhood of Queens, N.Y., son of Walter and Lorraine Franki.
Chris was known to many as the owner of Elizabethville Furniture Company, but was a man of many talents.
He worked as a typesetter in the graphic arts industry in Connecticut, later becoming a construction estimator and owning his own business in Williamsport, Pa., then a member of the Carpenters Union and working for Brunswick Bowling up and down the East Coast, all the while investing in real estate. He and his wife, Denise, opened the furniture store in 2000, putting down roots in Elizabethville.
His early years were spent in New York, mostly in the Long Island town of Bethpage, where he started school and developed a love for sports and music that continued for his entire life. His family moved to Forksville, Pa. when he was 10 years old. His charisma and wit made him popular among both the students and teachers throughout school and into adulthood. He loved baseball and played from an early age into high school, where he also played basketball and was a drummer in the marching band.
Chris was a 1984 graduate of Sullivan County High School, Laporte, Pa. He studied graphic arts at Pensacola Junior College, Pensacola, Fla. He also took business classes at Penn College in Williamsport, Pa.
Chris attended Davids Community Bible Church in Millersburg; he was a member of the Lions Club; and the Loyal Order of Moose; and he was committed to the community of Upper Dauphin County, to which he gave selflessly.
He loved playing rock-n-roll with his band, “The 2nd Floor,” but his greatest joy was spending time with his family and proudest accomplishment his daughter, Olivia.
Surviving is his wife of 28 years, Denise; his daughter, Olivia; his brother Richard and sister-in-law Donna; nephews: Lucas, Nick and Sam of Waynesboro, Pa.; sister-in-law and brother-in-law Pam and Timothy Miller; nieces: Taylor, Hadley and Quinlyn of Milllersburg, Pa., mother-in-law Dorothy Galusha of Elizabethville, Pa. and father-in-law Gary Puderbaugh (Janet) of Danville, Pa.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to a fund set up for his daughter, Olivia Franki, at Mid Penn Bank, 4642 State Route 209 Elizabethville, PA 17023 717-362-8147.
A memorial celebration and tribute to Chris’ life will be held at noon, Sunday, July 24, 2016, at the Cedar Mahantongo Lodge, 472 Snyder Mill Road, Dalmatia, Pa.