Obituary of Patricia Franklin

Patricia Farrell Franklin passed away October 14, 2012 at Ruby Memorial Hospital in Morgantown, WV. She was critically injured the day before when struck by a pickup truck while crossing an intersection in Oakland, MD. She was born May 11, 1941 in Washington, DC. Her parents were Mr. and Mrs. James (Mary Alred) Farrell. Pat grew up in the D.C. area and graduated from Falls Church High School in 1959, and William and Mary College in 1963.She is survived by her husband of 48 years, Jay D. Franklin children, Kimberly (Steve) Trundle of Falls Church, VA and Devin (Michelle) Franklin of New Lebanon, NY. Her first child, Dennis Franklin, passed away in 2008. She had four grandchildren, Claire, Scott and Wyatt Trundle and Cedar Franklin.Pat was active in northern VA politics and in every community where she lived. She took the passion she felt as an environmentalist, the skills she acquired as a civic activist, the support of a loving family and from her basement in 1992 founded the Container Recycling Institute. CRI became an important national non-profit organization which supports beverage container deposit laws and recycling programs. She retired as Executive Director in 2007. Her dream was that the nation would someday achieve zero beverage container waste.She was a DC area native but had retired with her husband Jay to homes in Fernandina Beach, FL and Deep Creek Lake, MD. A month before her death, Pat was the oldest participant in the 2012 SavageMan Triathlon at Deep Creek Lake State Park. Riding the 40k bicycle segment, she finished eleven minutes faster than she did in 2011. She raised 124% of the goal for the triathlonâs âWin-the-Fightâ event that benefits the Joanna M. Nicolay Melanoma Foundation. Pat loved her family, was a friend to all, and a champion of the underdog. She will be forever missed by her family and friends.A memorial service will be held Friday, October 19, 2012 at 11:00 AM in the First Presbyterian Church, 225 East Broad St., Falls Church. Private interment will occur on a later date at the Oakwood Cemetery in Falls Church.