Bob Franklin (16 Mar 1945 - 24 Apr 2020)

Bob Franklin was a husband to Marilyn, father to Vanessa, Ben and Sam and a grandad to Evie.  Brother to Ron, Rene and Shirley, friend and colleague to many more.  He passed away peacefully on 24th April 2020.

Bob leaves behind a life full of memories and many stories that are too numerous to mention here. A qualified Accountant, he had a long career in business at Toleman Transportation, Coopers and Lybrand and BT.  In 1991 he formed his independent consultancy firm - telcoconsulting.  His sharp independent mind, humanity and strategic thinking coupled with an intricate knowledge of complex regulatory cases enabled him to deliver tangible benefits and training to Governments, Regulators, Operators and Financial Institutions in over 50 countries.

His interests and talents were many and wide-ranging; a keen tennis player, lover of all music especially Jazz, a Spurs fan, a budding “pianist in training” and a “colourblind artist” which often led to some amusing interpretations! He will be sorely missed by all that loved and knew him.

Bob always strived to help others and make the world a better place in both his work and personal life. In memory of his kind and generous nature if you wish to make a donation we have nominated these two charities:

Southend Hospital Charity

Mind – Mental health charity

Southend Hospital took great care of Bob during his brave fight with Coronavirus. The family would like to give something back to all the doctors and nurses and other staff who looked after Bob while he was in hospital. Their COVID19 Rapid Response Appeal is in place to help fund various projects, wherever the need is greatest. As a result of these services his family had the opportunity to say goodbye to Bob via newly purchased iPads as we were unable to go to the hospital. 
Having spoken with the hospital fundraising director future projects for this fund include; PTSD support for staff working directly with Covid patients, improvement of the garden spaces and art and relaxation areas for the staff and patients. Art, particularly painting gave Bob great pleasure and relaxation, so he would appreciate this idea. He also previously worked with a charity supporting the arts, for dementia patients.   

Mind, the mental health charity was very close to Bob's heart all his life. Bob knew only too well the difficulties of balancing work and family life when struggling with the challenges both can bring. He managed his own Bipolar disorder for over 40 years while continuing with a very demanding international career and bringing up a family.
Mind provide advice and support to empower anyone experiencing a mental health problem and any money raised on their behalf will be available to help everyone that needs them. Now more than ever the coronavirus pandemic is having a huge impact on the mental health of many and in the past few years the barriers and stigma around mental health are gradually lifting. Mind campaign to improve services, raise awareness and promote understanding so we would dearly love to support this.

On behalf of Marilyn, Vanessa, Ben and Sam, Thank you.