Allene Franklin

Dear Friends and Family, welcome to our page celebrating the life of Allene Franklin, artist, musician, and poet. Allene was preceded in death by her husband John Franklin and brother Richard Unruh. She is survived by her daughter Wendy DiCaprio and her husband Gary, son Douglas Franklin and his wife Joyce Mayer, step-daughter Margie Franklin, grandchildren Justin DiCaprio, Hannah, Samuel, Maxwell, and Lucy Franklin, Meghan Madison, Lila Pearman, Madelyn Pearman, and Katie Bounds; and brother David Unruh. After Dad died, she would proudly say that she was to have 30 years of life after his death because that is what he told her, and “he was always right”.

She was born in Texas in 1936 and her parents, along with two brothers, moved to Alaska when she was 17, driving the newly created AlCan Highway. She fell in love with Alaska immediately and it became her forever home, no matter how far away she was. The woods, mountains, lakes, or anything water related, were her favorite places.

She was an amazing artist who didn’t care whether she sold paintings or not. She didn’t just WANT to draw and paint. She NEEDED to, like she needed air. A sketchbook (at the minimum) was always in her bag, or pocket.

She lived and breathed music, playing the piano and her accordions which she described as being almost alive and part of her, helping her to express her heart and soul, because they breathed as one. She enjoyed playing all types of music, from old favorites, classical, folk, and pop. For our dad, she played his favorite Irish songs. Many people were entertained as she played around our campfire. We often hear applause in the distance, and often they couldn’t resist and would make their way over to us.

She could write...oh could she write! Stories, poems, and life observations. She brought words to life in a way not accomplished by many. She would write entire poems or stories in her head, and then just put them on paper and would often tell me that they just wrote themselves.

She was a wonderful mother. I have so many childhood memories to cherish. All three of us, Mom, Doug and I, reading on rainy afternoons, is something I can still miss. Each in a private world until she would come to a funny part and laugh till the tears poured! Then she would read it out loud to us, still laughing and making it hard to understand her words, but since we were laughing too, it didn't matter. If she could convince us to miss school, we would occasionally play hookie and go for a picnic.  

We did not have much money growing up, so she made a lot of my clothes.  When I was embarrassed about holes in the knees of my jeans, she embroidered the patches.  I remember my junior high school started a rule that we had to tuck our shirts in.  Ever the rebel, Mom embroidered on the hems of my shirts to ensure that they were not meant to be tucked in.  She made us stuffed toys for Christmas, and saved money so we could have a soda when we went to the laundry mat.  She learned to make bookcases from cardboard boxes covered with contact paper, then progressed to building her own.

She was the essential “hippy” and free spirit with a tremendous appreciation of life and nature.  When Dad would be away on business trips, she would take us camping and set up the tent by herself.  Back then, it was a canvas tent, horrible heavy and unwieldy.  She learned to pack a cooler so that Dad (a New Yorker) could have special treats learn to love camping.

Our family went to Denali National Park every year. It became a very special place for all of us, and Mom and Dad eventually became campground hosts there. After Dad died, Mom continued doing it by herself as long as she could. Many of her paintings and sketches are of the park and the animals that they loved to study, photograph, sketch and paint.

She was extremely sentimental, and yet could cuss like a sailor. Her life was full of color, music and nature and we will all miss her more than words can say.

We would love you to share any stories and/or photos you have.

Please select the Mementos icon to view photos/videos.

The video attached is various photo's of her and some of her many works of art.  The background is a small section of audio I recorded as she played accordion, sitting around the fire with friends in Seward Alaska.  I hope you enjoy it, I know we did!!