Franklin Dewey Owenby

December 16, 1936 - October 15, 2026

Franklin Dewey Owenby, age 89, of Canton, Georgia, passed away on October 15, 2026.

Born in Wink, Texas, the largest Oil fields in Texas at that time, to Dewey Sylvanus and Myra Marie Owenby, he grew up on a large farm in the North Georgia and North Carolina area, where he learned to farm, hunt, and fish. He walked to school as many did in that era, and spent many of his school years in a one-room schoolhouse. After high school, he moved to Atlanta, where he met Barbara, the love of his life. He was then drafted into the U.S. Army and served two years, stationed in Texas. An expert marksman, he earned a medal for his skill. Back in Georgia, he took a job at Lockheed Aircraft Corporation in Marietta and rose to Tool Planner, the highest pay grade in the plant, planning the tools used to build the company's aircraft. He also served as an elected officer of the Machinists Union at Lockheed, as Secretary and Treasurer. He retired from Lockheed in 2001 and worked at Lockheed for 39 years. He and Barbara welcomed three children: Phyllis Renee, Franklin Douglas, and Alice Marie. After Barbara's passing in 2003, he remarried, and he and his wife, Joan, shared their later years together in retirement until her passing in 2025. His great passion was old muscle cars. He restored many of them from the engine out, and though he never named a favorite, his family believes he held a special fondness for the 1964 Pontiac GTO, one of the family's first cars, which he eventually restored. He passed that love on to all of his children. He was preceded in death by his parents, Dewey and Marie Owenby; his wife, Barbara; his wife, Joan. He is survived by his children, Phyllis Renee, Franklin Douglas, and Alice Marie; six grandchildren, Jacqueline, Coleman, Nicholas, Alexis, Mason, and Sheridan; three great-grandchildren, Brantley, Colt, and Addie; stepdaughter, Michelle; and step-granddaughter, Riley. Services will be held at Darby Funeral Home in Canton, GA. Visitation will be Thursday October 22, 2026 from 4:00pm to 8:00pm eastern. The funeral service will be held Friday, October 23, 2026 at 12:00pm eastern. The burial service will immediately follow in Mineral Bluff, GA at Friendship Baptist Church. A note from his children: We hit the parent jackpot with Daddy and Mama, and life will never be the same without him. He was the greatest man we have ever known, a wise and wonderful protector. We take comfort knowing he is with Mama and everyone else he loved. God bless Daddy, and all of us as we navigate life without him. We love and miss you, Daddy, and we will see you again one day.