Obituary

Alexander (Alex) Lanson Franklin II, of Charleston, West Virginia, passed away on September 22, 2025. He was born on June 10, 1952, in Greensboro, North Carolina, to Kenneth Cabell Clay Franklin and Elise Bolling Turner Franklin, and grew up with a deep love of history, art, and architecture. Being the quintessential Renaissance man, his passion for learning about and collecting antiques would remain with him for the rest of his life. Alex’s early interest in antiques began in high school while working for Otto Zenke, Inc., and continued throughout his life. After graduating from Hampden-Sydney College with a BA in Economics in 1974, he spent a summer in France working at Automobiles Peugeot, where he honed his ten years of French study. Alex’s love of France never wavered, and he enjoyed traveling there frequently.

After several years in real estate and banking, he moved to Charleston, West Virginia, where he continued his banking career and where he and his wife, Caroline Chilton Nelson, who predeceased him, built a life together. The Franklins kept a 25-year tradition of hosting a ‘Night Before Christmas’ party for friends and family on December 24th, continuing a much beloved tradition Alex had experienced growing up in Greensboro. It was one of his favorite annual gatherings.

In 1988, Alex purchased a gift shop and transformed it into Alex Franklin Ltd., a beloved local store that combined his eye for design with his appreciation for fine gifts, antiques, and regional crafts all curated with Alex’s impeccable taste and a dash of Southern charm. If you were looking for the perfect wedding gift, a thank-you note that made an impression, or just something proper, Alex’s shop was the place to go. He ran the shop for 20 years before retiring, but remained deeply involved in historic preservation and the arts. After retirement, he completed all three postgraduate study sessions of the Summer Institute at The Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts in Winston-Salem.

Alex was a board member of Craik-Patton, Inc., the Craik-Patton Foundation, the University of Charleston Builders Club, Coonskin Park Trust Foundation, and the Huntington Museum of Art; an advisory board member of the Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts; and on the Connoisseur Council of the Charleston, South Carolina Preservation Society Symposium. He was appointed to the West Virginia Governor’s Mansion Preservation Society and the City of Charleston’s Municipal Beautification Committee. Alex served as a past president of the Collectors Club of the Avampato Art Museum at the Clay Center and the Charleston Cosmos Club. He was a member of the Rotary Club of Charleston, SAE Fraternity, The Clay Center, Greensboro Historical Museum, Hampden-Sydney Alumni Association, Charleston Preservation Society, Decorative Arts Trust, Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts, Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, The Metropolitan Museum, Winterthur Museum, and Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. Alex was a parishioner and vestry member of Saint Matthews Episcopal Church.

Those who knew Alex remember him as the embodiment of grace and gentility. He was the best-mannered of men—always gracious, unfailingly courteous, and innately kind. His charm was effortless, never boastful, and his warmth made all feel at ease in his presence. His deep appreciation for beauty, craftsmanship, and tradition extended far beyond his professional life; it was reflected in the way he lived each day—with thoughtfulness, refinement, and an enduring curiosity about the world. A lover of antiques not just for their aesthetic, but for the stories they told, Alex had the rare ability to connect past and present with elegance and insight.

He was predeceased by his parents, former wife Caroline, and older brother Judson Bolling Franklin. He is survived by Ann Starcher, his loving partner and wife of almost 18 years; his cherished children, son Cabell Chilton Nelson Franklin of Austin, Texas, and daughter Merriweather Ruffner Franklin of Lewisburg, West Virginia; sister-in-law Carol Franklin and niece Susannah F. Winstead, as well as many beloved extended family members.

A memorial service will be held at 12:00 noon on Monday, September 29, 2025, at Saint Matthew’s Episcopal Church.

Visitation will be held in the church hall one hour prior to the service.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Saint Matthew’s Episcopal Church, 36 Norwood Road, Charleston, WV 25314, or to The Craik-Patton House, 2809 Kanawha Blvd. E, Charleston, WV 25311, or to the charity of your choice.

The Franklin Family would like to especially thank everyone from Hospice, as well as the caregivers who provided such special care.

Condolences may be sent to the family at www.barlowbonsall.com.

Barlow Bonsall Funeral Home has been entrusted with the arrangements.