Cecily E. Franklin

Cecily Elizabeth Kerlin Franklin, 40, of Watervliet died suddenly on Sunday, Oct. 29, 2023, at Corewell Health Lakeland Hospital, St. Joseph.

A celebration of life memorial service will be at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 5 with Pastor Jeffrey Hubbers officiating. Friends may visit with the family one hour prior to the service at the funeral home.

Memorial contributions may be made to Water Street Glassworks – Fired Up Teen After School Program, 140 Water St., Benton Harbor, MI 49022 or Friends of Berrien County Animal Control, P.O. Box 12, Riverside, MI 49084. Those wishing to leave an online condolence may do so at www.starks-menchinger.com.

Cecily was born on May 3, 1983, in Groton, Conn., and was raised by Heidi (Hopmoen) Koehler.

She graduated from Coloma High School in 2002, choosing to continue her education by attending Lake Michigan College. Throughout her school years, Cecily excelled in the arts, taking part in band, choir and art classes. She loved creating special hand-crafted works of art and giving them to friends or family, whether it was jewelry, custom mandala pictures, or upscaling discarded items. You could always tell they were gifts which truly came from the heart.

Another passion of Cecily's was cooking incredible, gourmet, multi-course meals for her family. Her skill level and diligence were unbeatable; however, baking a simple cookie remained a source of frustration for her. Cecily was a beautiful woman, who tirelessly helped anyone in need and her loving heart will be deeply missed by all who knew her.

Cecily is survived by her parent, Heidi (Mitch) Koehler; husband, Eric Franklin; children: Ameria Cogswell, and Adele and Arwen Finehout; siblings: Stephanie (Corey) James, Timothy Adam (Brittney) Kerlin III, and Margrethe (Owen II) Cole; nieces and nephews: Esmé and Aimée James, Piper and Emmitt Kerlin, Ezra Bernard Nigro and Michael Faultersack; beloved aunt and uncle: Carmella and Bernie Kowalski; former spouse, friend, and co-parenting partner, Steven Finehout.

Cecily was preceded in death by her stepfather, Michael Realmuto (June 1, 1954-Jan. 29, 2014) and sister, Quinn Arielle Kerlin (Nov. 9, 1989-July 11, 2022).