Obituaries

Melvyn “Mel” Franks
22nd May 1939 – 21st May 2022
Born in London, England, on 22nd May 1939, Mel Franks was a creative minded, dry-witted and loving husband, father, brother and friend. He departed us one day before his 83rd birthday, on 21nd May 2022, after battling Parkinson’s Disease for 14 years. He will be sorely missed.
With Mel, you’d never see a hair out of place as he took pride in his appearance, he was always clean-shaven and liked his suits tailored. He was a dapper gentleman. Mel was a keen athlete who enjoyed cycling, jogging, swimming, weight lifting and especially squash. As a young boy, he regularly rode his bike long distances all over London. He also collected show programs and was an avid coin collector.
Before moving on to a successful career in the music and film industry, Mel served in the Dental Corps of the British Army and as a TV engineer. As everyone knew, Mel was a huge Frank Sinatra fan, so when he relocated his family to Los Angeles in the summer of 1983, it was no surprise that Mel would delight in working in the entertainment business.
Mel is survived by his wife of 59 years, Sylvia, his three sons, Gavin, Laurence and Darren, and four grandchildren, Alexander, Liliana, Barnaby and Lucien.