The nugget., May 23, 2018, Page 22, Image 22

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Wednesday, May 23, 2018 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
Franklin Heath Cobb, Jr.
February 22, 1921 - April 16, 2018
H
eath was born in Chicago, Illinois in the “Golden Twenties” and not long before the Great De-
pression of 1929. His father was a WWI war hero who led on horseback a section of the 1918
victory parade in New York City. After the war, his father became an advertising artist who loved
the theater. Heath’s mother was Patricia Lambert Cobb (later, Harris) who had been abandoned to a nun-
nery’s care and was later adopted by the Lamberts. Pat met Franklin while she acted and sang in musical
comedies. They married in 1919, and she would fly her own plane. She was the first woman to fly over
Chicago at night. She lost her son of 1½ years, after their divorce, to Franklin’s parents who had kidnapped
Heath, Jr.
After a short period with his grandparents, Heath lived with his stepmother, Nancy Welford Cobb (later,
Morris) who, by the way, was told Heath’s mother was dead. In his early years, he was able to hobnob with
the theatrical crowd because Nancy was an actress. She came with her English vaudeville family to the
USA, playing the theater circuit. Of note, she was the original “No, No, Nanette” on Broadway and played
a leading role in “The Gold Diggers of Broadway” in 1929. Dad always called her “Dearest.” Despite, or because of, his moving from place to place
with theater groups, he excelled in his education and loved his life. Heath even swam a few times in the same pool with Esther Williams! He had a
bit of a crush on her most of his life.
Dearest had raised Heath into his teens when Pat finally found her son and interestingly, she and Nancy would become friends. Pat had Heath
for only a short span of his life. Pat was wed to Carl A. Harris, an oil tycoon, in 1923. She eventually became president of National Arts and Let-
ters Society, in time arranged events at the White House and in her later years she was quite the ballroom dancer. A bit too much for Pat to handle,
Heath was enrolled in the Boy Scouts of America and achieved Eagle Scout. He was on the Cass.
Tech. Detroit Swimming Team 1936-37 (Dad would swim daily into his late 70s). In high school,
he was a lettered football team player, #22. Heath had become a handsome, 6’2”, hazel-eyed, auburn-
haired, athletic and smart young man. Then the world shifted.
Heath enlisted in the Army 12/16/1941. He completed Basic Military, Aircraft Mechanic & Elec
and Prop Specialist training in 1942, and on 10/30/42 was appointed Aviation Cadet.
In splashed Beatrice Amelia Ewing from Hope, New Jersey who also loved to swim, thus they met
and fell in love on the Jersey shores. Beatrice was his beautiful, smart, strong, healthy and happy part-
ner. They both would sing, loved jazz and married while WWII heated up. They laughed a lot and
never argued.
Fall of 1943, Heath was the 2nd Lt Pilot of his first B-17 crew. He flew 30 missions over Germany
from GB, in combat. His military records are lengthy, with honorable discharges at end of tours fol-
lowed by immediate re-enlistments and with many accolades from commanding officers and a few
generals. Included in his files are mysteries.
After the war, Heath continued military service and training. He became an air traffic controller, and soon supervisor. While being one of the best
ATCs, he studied and became a cryptographic technician in 1950, “Enciphers and deciphers or encodes and decodes classified messages, using all
types of cryptographic systems and equipment employed by the Air Force. Handles secret communications and maintains cryptographic files.” He
had Top Secret security clearance (renewed over the years). He was issued a .45-caliber handgun to carry, and his travel logs show numerous short
stop-overs across our mainland and in foreig n countries. It was all very secret, he never divulged what or why.
With Beatrice, Heath had three children. Pat was born in Illinois, Diane in Indiana, and Susan in Florida. We also
lived in Guam and Alaska. When driving from point A to point B across the USA, Heath would share his historical
notes about slavery and Native Americans relative to the locations we visited, Mom taught us three-part harmony, and
there were no seatbelts.
Stationed in beautiful Alaska, Beatrice and Heath had irreconcilable differences and divorced in 1955. En route to
another assignment, Heath checked in on his childhood girlfriend, Alice Whitehead of Gary, Indiana. She too was di-
vorced and had one daughter, Virginia. They got married, and off to Morocco they flew.
In 1958, he was stationed in Bitburg, Germany and sent for his three daughters. Diane and Susan (aged 13 and 11,
respectively) joined him in Germany.
Heath was a voracious reader and he loved maps, talking politics, playing bridge or poker and reading poetry. If re-
quested, he would recite from memory any one of many lengthy poems like Kipling’s Gunga Din, or Poe’s Annabel Lee
and The Raven. He would meticulously plan our summer camping vacations to various parts of Europe, including an
itinerary with his historical notes on arts, wars, religion and local wines. The rest of the year, on weekends, he taught us
more religious history and the latest in evolution.
While in service, Heath continued his military and non-military education. Not only did he have a great thirst for knowledge, he also loved
sports, fishing, hiking, photography and swimming. He trained and became an official for football, hockey, basketball, baseball, wrestling and box-
ing. He was so proficient that he was soon teaching and was the top official at the game. A few officiating highlights from 1961: in Rhein Main AB,
Germany, GSD Boxing Championship; in Chatereaux, France, USAFE Open Boxing Matches; in Alconbury, England, USAFE FINALS football;
and in Heidelberg, Germany 1961 FREEDOM BOWL.
Heath served in the Vietnam War in Danang (in that secret role) and by 1962 had received 17 military awards. After 30 years of military service
(much omitted herein), our father of great energy and talent decided he wanted to be a teacher. He was conferred a Master of Arts degree in 1967
from Puget Sound University and soon began teaching at Pierce College. He taught comparative religions, Native American studies, Social Sci-
ences, American and World history, and for fun created and headed the Honors Program. He received the Outstanding Faculty Award, from the
students of Pierce College 1986-87 which deeply touched him, and was presented the Award of Recognition from Oregon/Washington Commu-
nity College Councils in 1987. He taught 26 years, retiring in 1993, remembering it as, “the best years of my life.”
Our father had a giant personality, was a gentleman and impressed anyone he met. Many people in Sisters, Oregon, affectionately called him Dad.
He was always pleasant and added a bright perspective no matter the circumstances. We were immeasurably fortunate to have Dad’s good company
these past seven years. He outlived his elders, wives and siblings to the grand age of 97. He is survived by his 3 daughters, 1 step-daughter, 5 grand-
children and 3 great-grandchildren.
A final reminder from Heath: “getting old ain’t for sissies.”