Franklin Christopher Andrews

Oct 19, 1964 -

June 4, 2020

Franklin Christopher Andrews passed away recently at home from natural causes. No services are planned at this time. A celebration of life will occur at a future date.

Franklin was born in Los Angeles, Calif., on Oct. 19, 1964, to Eleanor Andrews and the late Franklin Samuel Andrews.

A combination of fearlessness and his love of adventure and athletic exploits meant that Franklin was on a first-name basis with emergency room doctors throughout his childhood. Franklin was a late learner. He learned to read through comic books. It wasn't until the 10th grade when he heard a speech about dyslexia that he recognized himself and asked for help. After completing a special program at East High School, Franklin later became an avid reader. In high school Franklin played football and excelled in track and field. Two of his sprint records stood for more than 20 years.

After high school graduation Franklin was a foreign exchange student in the American Field Services Program where he spent time in Belfast, Ireland, and Reading, England. He graduated from American College in Paris in 1988 with a bachelor's degree in international studies. Later that year Franklin worked at the Alaska Pavilion at World Expo in Brisbane, Australia. In 1989, he moved to Japan and taught in The JET program for several years. After his teaching experience in the JET Program he worked for various companies including a department store chain. Franklin introduced Western Christmas celebrations to the stores as a way to extend retail opportunities.

Franklin returned to Anchorage in the mid-90s and worked in administration and project management for The Andrews Group, his mother's government contracting business. During this time he was voted Top 40 under 40, an Anchorage Chamber of Commerce program. Referred to by an old friend from college as the "dashing young Alaskan in Paris," Franklin was also described as a good listener, and "a man who would walk 100 miles for a friend who needed help or a good laugh-often both."

Franklin was briefly married to Anastasia Andrews. He is survived by his mother, Eleanor Andrews; his sister, Marti Andrews Guzman; aunts, uncles, cousins and other extended family and friends from around the world. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in his name to the Food Bank of Alaska, where he volunteered.