Joseph E. "Joe" Franell Jr.

December 29, 1931 - July 6, 2018

Joseph E. "Joe" Franell Jr. of Albany went home to be with his heavenly father on July 6, 2018, at the Evergreen Hospice House in Albany at 86 years of age.

He was born Joseph Edward Bennett on December 29, 1931, in Niagara Falls, New York.

He enlisted in the U.S. Army at the age of 17 and was trained as an airborne combat medic. He served in combat during the Korean War and was honorably discharged as a corporal in 1953.

In August of that same year, at age 21, he was adopted by Joseph and Ella Franell, who had raised him from the age of nine months. His name was then changed to Joseph Edward Franell, Jr.

He enlisted in the U.S. Air Force in 1954 and was trained as a nuclear specialist, attaining the rank of Staff Sergeant (T) before graduating from Officer Candidate School and being commissioned as a second lieutenant in 1957.

He and Peggy Jane Riley were married in Laredo, Texas on December 22 of that same year.

While in the Air Force, Joe received a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from Oklahoma State University and a Master of Business Administration degree from Auburn University. He also graduated from the Air Command and Staff School. He served two tours at the Pentagon as a missile operations staff officer and retired from service as a major after 21 years.

Following retirement from the military, he and his family moved to Texas, where he worked for the University of Texas, the Texas Department of Welfare, the Southern Baptist Radio and Television Commission, Tandy Corporation, and the city of Odessa. He also was ordained as a Southern Baptist minister and pastored several churches in Texas and Oregon.

He and his family spent the past 30 years in Albany, where he worked in the information technology field, finally retiring from the state of Oregon.

Joe is survived by his wife of 60 years, Peggy J. Franell; his three sons, Michael (Teri), Joseph (Frankie) and Keith (Tracy); 14 grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his granddaughter, Cheyenne Franell.

The family would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to the staff at Samaritan Evergreen Hospice House for the love and care you gave Joe. You are very much appreciated.

A celebration of life will be held at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, July 18, 2018, at Riverside Baptist Church in Albany.

Those who wish may make contributions in Joe's memory to Samaritan Evergreen Hospice Fund, Samaritan Foundations, P.O. Box 1068, Corvallis, OR 97339-9983. Please indicate that the donation is in Joe Franell's memory.

The family requests no flowers.

Online condolences for the family may be posted at www.fisherfuneralhome.com.