FRANKLIN GRANAT

GRANAT--Franklin Lee.

(1929-2017) longtime resident of New York City and Ojai, California died on Saturday after a brief illness. He was 88 years old. He is survived by his widow Linda Nugent Granat whom he married in 1971. The only son of the renowned Granat Brothers jewelers of San Francisco, Frank graduated from Stanford University in 1950 and began on a life's journey that took him from San Francisco to Paris where he played jazz piano and met his lifelong friend, Bobby Short. The show business bug had bitten. He returned to New York where he became partners with the Broadway producer George W George, the son of Rube Goldberg. Among his shows were "Ben Franklin in Paris", "Any Wednesday", and "Dylan" starring Alec Guinness. He won a Tony award for that show. In the early 1970's, Frank teamed with an old friend, Warner Leroy to create one of the first great theme parks, Great Adventure. Along the way, he also managed to start a little company called Ticketron. Like Warner, he also fell in love with the restaurant business. In 1977, Frank opened the Knickerbocker Bar & Grill in Greenwich Village. His formula for success was good food, great drinks, and a welcoming atmosphere. He also established it as one of the premier venues for great jazz pianists like Billy Taylor, Junior Mance, Roland Hannah and Mary Lou Williams. On April 21st of this year, the "Knick" celebrated its 40th anniversary. Frank and his wife Linda "retired" to the beautiful town of Ojai in 1992. Every day Frank continued his creation via long distance. He worked daily with his management team to improve and refine its operation. Frank knew some of the most famous stars and celebrities of the 20th century. From Noel Coward to Charlie Chaplin. From Barbara Cook to Alec Guinness. From Larry Gelbart to Larry Hagman. It was a wonderful life. Details for the memorial service will be announced. Contributions to Doctors Without Borders would be greatly appreciated.