Mark A. Franklin

Franklin, Mark A.

It is with great sadness that we share the passing of Mark A. Franklin, beloved father and grandfather, respected professor, and all-round Mensch. Mark died on May 24, 2021, in Berkeley, CA, with family by his side.

Raised in Brooklyn, Mark had fond early memories of his loving parents, Jack and Celia, of baseball, and of a childhood spent fishing in Sheepshead Bay. He attended Columbia University, graduating with degrees in literature (1961) and engineering (1962 & 1964). He enjoyed sharing assignments with his father: Jack would complete them alongside Mark, thereby obtaining a Columbia education by proxy with the instruction of his patient son. After graduating, Mark worked in the data processing division of Honeywell Inc. before earning a PhD in Computer Engineering at Carnegie Mellon.

Mark raised two children with his former wife, Barbara Decker, in St. Louis, MO, where he relocated in 1970 to take up a faculty position at Washington University. Mark's work focused on computer architecture and parallel processing approaches, pioneering unique mappings between algorithms and novel hardware design. He co-authored several books including an early reference on IBM PC assembly language and three volumes on network processor design, as well as over 100 technical papers. Throughout his career, Mark enjoyed supervising and collaborating with his many students. Mark was also keen on applying academic discoveries to industry, co-authoring over 20 patents and co-founding the computer-hardware company Exegy.

As a caring friend, Mark touched many through morning chats-cum-debates in local cafes, tennis matches (his favorite sport), and involvement in the St. Louis Jewish community, particularly as a long-time member of Brith Sholom Kneseth Israel (BSKI). Mark shared with his children his love of music (both classical piano and folk guitar), the outdoors (hiking was a life-long pursuit), and dedication to family. After retirement in 2011, Mark particularly relished time with his grandchildren; he was playful almost to the end, always game for an improvised duet on the piano, for hugs, and for sharing treats. He will be remembered for his keen intellect, his genuine concern for the welfare of others, and the joy he found in the natural world.

Mark is survived by his children, son and daughter-in-law Jonathan & Caroline Ajo-Franklin, daughter and son-in-law Laura & Andrew Franklin-Hall; five grandchildren Eleanor (12), Jonah (7), Isaac (7), Selah (4), and Asher (1); and brother David Franklin.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donations in Mark's name to the Nature Conservancy, Hillel at Washington University, or the US Holocaust Memorial Museum.

Services: A memorial service to commemorate Mark's life will be held in the early fall of 2021 in St. Louis, MO. If you would like to attend, either in-person or remotely, please send a short note to jonathan.ajofranklin@gmail.com.