Robert George Franke

Robert Franke, former Dean at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, teacher, naturalist, author, activist, art supporter and minister, died December 27th of heart failure. He was 78. Franke retired from Central Michigan University in Mt. Pleasant, Michigan as Provost in 1990. While there, he initiated an Honors Program for gifted students, the Native American Studies program, the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Programs, and helped start an Art in the Park series. After retirement he entered the seminary at the Meadville Lombard Theological School in Chicago and subsequently helped establish the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Central Michigan, serving also as their founding minister. Eventually, he returned to Little Rock and took up residence in an assisted living facility near where his daughter, Sara Franke Bowling lived, but was abruptly evicted when the institution reviewed his submitted medical records that reflected his HIV + status. With the assistance of Lambda Legal, Franke and Bowling sued under the Fair Housing Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and similar state laws. The parties settled shortly after attorneys for the Fox Ridge Assisted Living Community took the deposition of Franke and the other family members involved. The importance of Franke's stand against discrimination has been acknowledged by many. Franke was recognized for his contributions in the battle against HIV stigma and discrimination at a 2010 White House conference on HIV and aging. Dr. Franke was born in 1933 in Muskegon, Michigan. His father was a summer caretaker for Camp Hardy, later the Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp near that city. Franke grew to love the beauty and complexity of nature, a theme that ran through his entire life and inspired him to direct a rural Chicago Boys Club summer camp, major in biology, take a Ph.D in that area at the University of Texas at Austin, and earn Master Gardener certification in his 70's. He joined the army in 1957 after the Russian launch of Sputnik and was honorably discharged in the national effort to improve scientific and technical education. "Man and His Environment," co-written with his wife Dr. Dorothy Nichols Franke, was a cutting edge textbook when published in 1975. The year he and his wife adopted their Vietnamese daughter when Saigon fell. As Dean of Science and Technology in Arkansas, he was appointed by then-Governor Bill Clinton to several boards dealing with environmental issues. In all of his positions, he taught courses on nature studies, human sexuality, general biology, botany and the like. He is remembered as a gentle and discerning man widely read, with great skill as a musician, writer, teacher, leader and father. He is survived by his wife, Dorothy; four children (David Franke, New York; Daniel Franke of North Little Rock; Sara Franke Bowling of North Little Rock; Leah Franke of California) 14 grandchildren, and his wonderful beloved dog Sasha. The family would like to thank the CCU unit at St. Vincent, Lambda Legal, and his many friends for their care and home. There will be a memorial service at Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Central Michigan in Mt. Pleasant, Mich., 319 S University Ave., on January 7th at 1 p.m. A local memorial service will be held on Wednesday, January 11th at Christ Episcopal Church, 509 Scott Street, Little Rock, Ark. 72201, at 2 p.m. Arrangements made by Roller-Owens Funeral Home (501-791-7400). Online guestbook www.rollerfuneralhomes.com/owens.