Franklin Allen Hallford

It is with a heavy heart and a toolbox full of memories that we announce the passing of Franklin Allen Hallford, a man who could build anything without instructions, gave the best bear hugs, and taught his daughters to be independent. Franklin, born on June 21, 1955, in the sunny state of Florida, decided to trade his fishing rod for angel wings on November 14, 2023, in Dothan, Alabama.

Franklin was a welder by trade and a teacher by heart. He taught welding classes in Dothan, where he not only shaped metal but also the minds and hearts of his students. He was the kind of teacher who could make sparks fly, literally and figuratively.

When he wasn't welding or teaching, Franklin was out living his best life. He loved fishing, camping, breeding and raising pit bulls. He was also a motorcycle enthusiast who could build dirt bikes and cars from scratch. He was the kind of guy who could turn a pile of junk into a masterpiece, a skill he often compared to raising children.

Franklin was a man who loved living off the land. He could catch a fish with his bare hands, start a fire with two sticks, and build a shelter with a pocketknife and a roll of duct tape. He was the real-life version of MacGyver, minus the mullet and the cheesy 80s music.

Franklin is survived by his daughters, Angela Bowden (Justin) and Anna Hallford, who will forever cherish their father's bear hugs and life lessons. He also leaves behind three grandsons, three granddaughters, two great-grandsons, and a brother, Kenneth Hallford, who will miss his brother's sense of humor and knack for fixing things. He was preceded in death by his parents, Merdie and Morgan Hallford, and brothers, Roger, Phillip, and Ronald Hallford, who are probably already tired of his practical jokes in the afterlife.

In the end, Franklin was a man who knew how to live, love, and laugh. He was a master of his craft, a lover of nature, and a father who knew how to make life fun. He was a man who could build anything, fix anything, and catch anything, except for a cold. He was a man who lived his life like a campfire, always warm, always bright, and always ready for a good story.

So, as we say goodbye to Franklin Allen Hallford, let's remember him not with sadness, but with a smile. Let's remember him as he was, a man who lived life on his own terms, who loved his family, and who knew how to make the best out of any situation. And let's remember him as he would want to be remembered, with a joke, a laugh, and a cold beer. Here's to you, Franklin. You were one of a kind.