Franklin Tyson Sr., 88, of Woodbine died Sunday morning, Dec. 18, 2016. He transitioned to eternal life at his home surrounded by his family.
Born April 4, 1928, in Folkston, he was the son of the late William Neeley Sr. and Gwendolyn Tyson-Neeley. He was married to the late Channie Lee Hamilton-Tyson.
He is preceded in death by siblings, Dorothy Tyson Brown, Demaris Tyson Kendrick, William Neeley, Gwendolyn Neeley Murphy and Floyd Neely.
Franklin accepted Christ at an early age. He was educated in the local schools of Charlton County. He was one of the prominent African American entrepreneurs in Camden County. He was the owner and operator of Tyson’s Logging and Trucking Company for more than 50 years. He loved professional car racing. He recently attended the Gatornationals annual drag racing event in Gainesville, Fla. He also loved baseball and attended several professional games. In addition, he had a love for professional wrestling and during his early years he frequently took his family to wrestling events in Jacksonville, Fla. He could be found on Friday nights playing a sociable game of cards with his friends. He was a loving father, husband, grandfather and friend to all.
Franklin leaves to cherish his memories one son, Franklin Tyson Jr. of South Dakota; three daughters, Vernicea Butler (Clifton) of Woodbine, Veronica Gordon (Jimmy) of Arlington, Texas, and Victoria Tyson of Brunswick; one sister, Atha Bell Neeley Reed of Miami; and two godsons, Bishop Kenny Knight and Timothy Robinson. He also leaves to mourn his passing 14 grandchildren, 27 great grandchildren and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.
Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 24, at Miracle Temple Outreach Ministries in Woodbine. Visitation will begin prior to the funeral at 10 a.m.