William E. Franzen, 73, passed away on July 19, 2021 in UMASS Memorial Medical Center University Campus after a courageous battle with Pancreatic Cancer. He leaves his wife of 47 years Rosalyn (Fisher) Franzen; a daughter Shannon Lau and her husband Vinnie; 2 grandchildren- Brennan and Alexander; 2 brothers- Russell and Christopher Franzen; his dear mother-in-law-Marion (Webster) Fisher of Leicester; and several nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by a sister Barbara Jean Franzen and by a brother Douglas Franzen.

Bill was born in South Weymouth, MA, son of the late Frederick and Helen (Dunbar) Franzen of Rockland. He graduated from Rockland High School (Class of ’66). He then went on to attend Texas A & M University where he earned both his Bachelor of Science (Class of ’70) and Master of Science (Class of ’72) degrees in Psychology. He served in the Army ROTC program while enrolled in school. He continued to be a proud Aggie throughout his life.

Upon graduation, he returned to the engineering field that he had begun while in high school working with his Dad at H.H. Arnold’s in Rockland, MA. He met the love of his life through his Mom and married her hair stylist in November of 1973. His daughter followed soon in 1974.

He got a job working in the Boeing 767 program on the West Coast and moved the family to Oregon. After accomplishing what he set out to do with Boeing, he moved back to the East Coast to work for Nichols-Waltham. He proudly joined the DMG Mori USA company where he saw great career advancement, eventually becoming the Northeast Regional Sales Manager. He traveled far and wide (including to locations where his daughter and her family happened to be living) and retired after 28 years. He was an active member of the First Congregational Church of Boylston for nearly 20 years, serving as a Deacon, Servant Leader, and on the Kitchen Committee where he happily peeled potatoes and apples and helped with many a church dinner alongside the great Chefee. In another life, he would have gone to Culinary school. His babyback ribs were amazing!

His passions were varied. You could find him reading the latest spy thrillers from Tom Clancy, W.E.B. Griffin, Clive Cussler and the like; watching cooking shows to up his culinary skills and History/Discovery Channel programming to learn about everything else; enjoying time up country in Vermont with his best friend, Chuck, allegedly “hunting” (although the only deer he ever bagged was the one he hit with a Mercury Topaz rental car); eating lobster fresh from the ocean and enjoying exploring in Maine and Cape Cod with his beloved wife; discussing all things Aviation and Engineering with his son-in-law; bowling, ATV-ing, and general hijinks with his two favorite people, his grandsons; laughing till he couldn’t breathe at Mel Brooks’ movies; and being the best daughter-Daddy the world will ever know. He always had an open mind and an ear to lend to anyone in need. We will miss him greatly and are comforted knowing he is with Jesus.

A memorial service will be held on Friday, July 30, 2021 at 12:00 noon in Nordgren Memorial Chapel 300 Lincoln St. Worcester. Burial will follow in Worcester County Memorial Park in Paxton.