Wednesday, December 07, 2005
Debbie Franklin Dies
The online Graphic reports today:
Debbie (Bridges) Franklin, former director of Pepperdine’s London campus and a beloved international programs French teacher, died Dec. 6 at her centuries-old farmhouse, Les Meurs, in the French countryside.
Franklin’s battle against cancer mobilized an international group of friends who prayed and assisted Franklin, her husband Dewey and seven-year-old daughter Aurora.
Friends and family are posting tributes to Franklin, and words of encouragement to her family. “Living at the Pepperdine house with you in 1995 and spending Easter Sunday at your home in France that year was one of our best memories as a family,” Julie Waters, whose husband Ken is a professor of journalism, wrote to the family. “Our girls, who were 4 and 7 then, have such wonderful memories of exploring on your property. But what they remember most of all is when Debbie took them out to the garden to pick lettuce for dinner. They felt like they were in a magical place, in this foreign land.
“Our brief time with you was incredible, from the fantastic dinner we shared in your wonderful great room, to the simple time of worship we shared in the kitchen on Easter morning. Dewey played the guitar and we sang simple, beautiful songs and shared the Lord's Supper together...such a taste of heaven!!”
Funeral arrangements are pending.
Debbie (Bridges) Franklin, former director of Pepperdine’s London campus and a beloved international programs French teacher, died Dec. 6 at her centuries-old farmhouse, Les Meurs, in the French countryside.
Franklin’s battle against cancer mobilized an international group of friends who prayed and assisted Franklin, her husband Dewey and seven-year-old daughter Aurora.
Friends and family are posting tributes to Franklin, and words of encouragement to her family. “Living at the Pepperdine house with you in 1995 and spending Easter Sunday at your home in France that year was one of our best memories as a family,” Julie Waters, whose husband Ken is a professor of journalism, wrote to the family. “Our girls, who were 4 and 7 then, have such wonderful memories of exploring on your property. But what they remember most of all is when Debbie took them out to the garden to pick lettuce for dinner. They felt like they were in a magical place, in this foreign land.
“Our brief time with you was incredible, from the fantastic dinner we shared in your wonderful great room, to the simple time of worship we shared in the kitchen on Easter morning. Dewey played the guitar and we sang simple, beautiful songs and shared the Lord's Supper together...such a taste of heaven!!”
Funeral arrangements are pending.
Sunday, December 04, 2005
The Waters
It's amazing that more than 10 years has passed since we were all together in London. All of you are scattered around the world. Some are doing very high profile and amazing things. Others are already raising children. Some are doing both, while some are still going to school or looking for Mr. or Ms. Right!
I still teach journalism at Pepperdine. I'm in year number 16. Amazing. I am the faculty adviser to the online Graphic and to Currents magazine. I show up for class just enough to get decent student reviews and I still find time to grab a bagel while my students are working in groups. Somehow I get some kind of unreadable, arcane research paper published every few years so I can stay employed. For some reason I think I'm working more and working harder than ever before. I think it's because we continue to get excellent students who demand that I work for them.
Julie is an aide to an autistic boy in a third grade class at one of our local elementary schools. She's been doing this for eight years now and loves it. She also sings in our church choir.
Katie is in her freshman year at Pepperdine (katherine.waters@pepperdine.edu). She isn't sure yet what she's going to major in, but she is involved in some TV productions, including that stupid show Mike Richards started when he was a student. She can tell you more about herself if you want to e-mail her and get her myspace information. Alison is a sophomore at Oaks Christian High School and she loves it. She taught herself to play the guitar the past few years and she also played drums in a pretty crazy battle of the bands at church last year. She's enjoying having mom and dad all to herself, but she definitely misses having her sister around as much.
Let everyone else know how you're doing and what you're doing. Either send me an e-mail, or take a minute or two to sign up with this blogsite so you can post comments yourself. I think this is as close as we'll ever get to a reunion since time has slipped by so quickly.
Blessings,
Dr. W. (Kenny!)
I still teach journalism at Pepperdine. I'm in year number 16. Amazing. I am the faculty adviser to the online Graphic and to Currents magazine. I show up for class just enough to get decent student reviews and I still find time to grab a bagel while my students are working in groups. Somehow I get some kind of unreadable, arcane research paper published every few years so I can stay employed. For some reason I think I'm working more and working harder than ever before. I think it's because we continue to get excellent students who demand that I work for them.
Julie is an aide to an autistic boy in a third grade class at one of our local elementary schools. She's been doing this for eight years now and loves it. She also sings in our church choir.
Katie is in her freshman year at Pepperdine (katherine.waters@pepperdine.edu). She isn't sure yet what she's going to major in, but she is involved in some TV productions, including that stupid show Mike Richards started when he was a student. She can tell you more about herself if you want to e-mail her and get her myspace information. Alison is a sophomore at Oaks Christian High School and she loves it. She taught herself to play the guitar the past few years and she also played drums in a pretty crazy battle of the bands at church last year. She's enjoying having mom and dad all to herself, but she definitely misses having her sister around as much.
Let everyone else know how you're doing and what you're doing. Either send me an e-mail, or take a minute or two to sign up with this blogsite so you can post comments yourself. I think this is as close as we'll ever get to a reunion since time has slipped by so quickly.
Blessings,
Dr. W. (Kenny!)
