The world lost and Heaven gained a friend to all on Friday, September 22, 2023, when Rod Franz passed away after a short fight with pancreatic cancer. He danced the night away at his daughter's wedding reception just three months ago, wearing LED flashing sunglasses, literally lighting up the room. We are thankful he was able to practice his dance moves for the celebration Jesus had planned for him at the pearly gates.
The son of John A and Mary Franz, Rod was born in Hutchinson, KS on December 27, 1946. His mom and dad waited in the parking lot at Grace Hospital until the clock turned midnight before being admitted so they wouldn’t be charged for an extra day and that was his first (but not last) experience with always looking for a way to save a buck. Rod was raised in Buhler, KS. He was a star athlete – the quarterback of the football team and the captain of the basketball team and also played tennis and baseball. He was also very handsome.
He was Franz and she was Friesen and because they sat alphabetically by last name in most if not all classes and assemblies, Rod and Karen were either going to love each other or want nothing to do with one another. Fortunately for us, a love story began. They started dating their freshman year in high school and quickly became high school sweethearts.
Rod attended Tabor College majoring in education and math. After dating long distance (30 miles) in college, Rod proposed on the condition that Karen transfer to Tabor their senior year and they were married August 2, 1968. Classes started later that month and he would no longer have to sneak her in past visiting hours as they immediately became the men’s dorm parents at Tabor.
After graduating, they traded in Kansas buffaloes for African elephants as they taught at an American school in the Congo from 1969-1973. After their service in the Congo and bringing home their favorite souvenir, baby Kirk, they moved to Kingman, KS. Rod’s connections in Buhler helped him get a job teaching middle school math, no interview and sight unseen, which might have been telling. It didn’t take long for him to realize he did not enjoy teaching middle school math (perhaps the multiple times the house got egged contributed to that realization). He told Karen we are either going back to Africa where the kids value education or I’m getting out of teaching. He applied for a position at IBM in Wichita and his application was seen by a man who would become his boss at Mutual of New York (MONY). Rod sold life and health insurance to veterinarians for 25+ years. He moved on from MONY and worked for Sauder selling university and hospital furniture before he retired.
To know Rod, one would know that…
Rod loved sports. If the TV or radio was on, he was probably watching or listening to a game. He loved the Royals, Chiefs and K-State. He enjoyed carefully picking his lineup of winners for the NFL games of the week in his fantasy football league. He played sports growing up and he passed along his love of sports to his children. He coached his girls and many of their friends in rec softball (Go Showbiz and Go MONY!). He was at every one of his son and daughters’ games. Over the years, he officiated everything from middle school volleyball games to high school basketball games to college football games. He served as the tournament director for the 3A State Baseball Tournament and was the 2A State Basketball Tournament Volunteer Supervisor of Officials for over 25 years. He was a sports enthusiast like that.
Rod loved to volunteer. He volunteered his time, gifts, and talents to so many. In any given week, you might find him serving as the worship leader at Manhattan Mennonite Church on Sunday, picking up clothes at the Fit Closet on Monday, passing out food donations with Harvesters on Tuesday, driving 2 hours to sort clothes at the Mennonite Central Committee Warehouse in North Newton on Wednesday, calling bingo numbers at Via Christi Retirement Village on Thursday, making ham sandwiches for officials on Friday before a tournament weekend, or helping a friend move on Saturday. He had a servant heart like that.
Rod loved a deal and saving money. $2 for 365 days of “Free” Jr. Frosty Treats, yes please. A product on sale out of stock at the grocery store, no problem – rain check. Papa kept the My Coke Rewards program going for years, buying soda, probably with a coupon, and then entering codes to earn points to win prizes. We all learned to find the cheapest gas station in town from Papa, even if it meant driving 10 miles out of the way all to save $0.50. The neighbors up the street every Sunday, lovingly set aside the Kansas City Star Sunday coupons for him, knowing his dedication to finding the best deals and ensuring he never paid full price for anything. Because an obituary cost is calculated per word, Rod would probably have written his own as: "I loved the Lord and my family. EMAW". You get the point. He was disciplined with money like that.
Rod loved spending time with his family. He loved watching his grandchildren play sports. He had a tradition that if we were in town with him on his birthday, he would treat US to dinner. He even forced…I mean suggested that it would be fun for us to all go to the Pet Resort and walk the dogs on holidays as a family so we could more quickly finish the task and get back to lunch only to have to go back and do it again for more “family” time in the evening. He was our Papa like that.
Rod loved to talk. This is probably why he was a successful salesman. From selling insurance to furniture, he didn’t just sell a product, he made people feel special and known. There wasn’t anyone he wouldn’t talk to. This included the grocery store check-out staff, long after the groceries had been bagged and paid for and his wife was already halfway out the door to the car. He valued people like that.
Rod loved K-State. He ran the play clock at the Kansas State football games (and later for the Big 12) and ran the game clock at Kansas State basketball games for 30+ years. He would send K-State game programs and articles to his kids and almost every phone call, after discussing the weather, had something to do with the state of the football or basketball program. His blood ran purple like that.
Rod loved the Lord. God’s greatest commandment is to LOVE and Rod made sure that in every interaction he had with people, with the one exception he got ejected from the softball game he was coaching, he demonstrated love. His strong faith and how he lived it out influenced his wife, his children, his grandchildren, his friends and even strangers to live a life that would be pleasing to God. As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord (Joshua 24:15). Rod was kind. Rod put others first. He was love like that.
Rod is preceded in death by his parents, and his older brothers Richard and John.
He will be forever remembered by his one and only true love, Karen, his son Kirk Franz and wife Shannon, his daughter Kara Hackney and husband Troy, his daughter Jana Reed and husband Rich, his grand-children Kali, Maddie and Hailey Franz; Korryn, Blythe, and Canton Hackney; and Sebastian, Zoe, Trinity and Raelyn Reed and man’s best friend, his dog Coco.
Rod’s family would like to invite family and friends to join them in a Celebration of Life service at First United Methodist Church in Manhattan, KS on Saturday, October 14 at 11:00 a.m.. A reception will be held at Meadlowlark Hills following the service. In lieu of flowers and to honor a ministry that was dear to Rod’s heart, the family kindly requests that donations be made in his honor to the Manhattan Mennonite Church via Yorgensen-Meloan-Londeen Funeral Home, 1616 Poyntz Avenue, Manhattan, KS 66502.
To honor Rod and the wonderful life he lived, go use a coupon, buy something on sale and know that he would be proud.