Judges, lawyers pay tribute to Franks
In the ornate courtroom that former Fayette County President Judge William J. Franks presided in for nearly eight years, court personnel, judges and attorneys gathered to pay their respects. Franks died Friday at the age of 73 after a battle with cancer, but was remembered by current President Judge Conrad B. Capuzzi as a devoted family man, whose “love of the law and of people was known.”
During a memorial service Wednesday, a tradition when someone in the county’s legal community dies, Capuzzi said Franks never hesitated to scold a lawyer who was not upfront with the courts, but also said he was a soft-spoken and kind man.
“His decisiveness and hard work served this court well,” Capuzzi said. “As long as his memory lives, so does he.”
Robert Webster Jr., president of the Fayette County Bar Association, said he surveyed his colleagues, asking them to use one word to describe Franks.
For loquacious lawyers, it was a feat, Webster said, but every one complied.
Dedicated, kind, prudent, patient, honorable, approachable and compassionate were among the words used.
Webster said attorney Wayne Port broke the mold a bit and called Franks “a really nice guy,” summing up the feelings of many in the legal community.
Webster recalled Franks as a listener, a reflective man who never complained. He also noted that Franks will be remembered for his trademark wave, and nod hello to many he passed.
A devout Catholic who attended Mass daily, Franks considered becoming a priest before pursuing a career in law, Webster said.
Throughout his life, Webster said Franks showed love for his family, including his recently deceased wife, Lena, and his daughter, Regina, and a zeal for law.
“He faithfully served the citizens of this county … as a better than excellent judge,” Webster said.