Worthington Alfred Franks was born on November 4, 1919 in Charlotte, Texas. He was the only child of Addie May Clayton and Vollie Oden Franks. Worthington was raised in Charlotte and, later, Galveston, Texas. His father, Vollie, was also a native Texan and worked as a farmer/rancher and carpenter; his mother, Addie, a schoolteacher and music instructor, was raised in the Midwest. Worthington graduated from Ball High School in Galveston, Texas.

He enlisted in the Army on January 11, 1942 in Houston, Texas. On July 4, 1942, Worthington received his wings at Kelly Field in San Antonio, Texas.

Before his enlistment, Worthington had completed 1 year at Texas A & M University in College Station, Texas and worked as an accountant/auditor and apprentice lithographer at American Printing Company in Galveston, Texas. He was also involved with the Galveston chapter of Demolay International, Moody Club minstrel shows and the Moody Club fencing team.

On August 1, 1943, Worthington was killed in action in a plane crash; he was 23 years old. He had been serving overseas since January of 1943.

"Lt. Worthington Alfred Franks was a B-24 navigator assigned to the 345th Bomb Squadron, the 98th Bomb Group, in the 9th Air Force, USAAF, on the B-24D, 42-40102, Old Baldy, shot down over Ploesti, Romania, hit by an AA direct hit from a Rumanian 80 mm cannon shell. Pilot 1st. Lt. John J. Dore and crew were all killed in action in the crash. 10 KIA. MACR 223." - American Air Museum in Britain

The Worthington A. Franks Scholarship, a scholarship for students of his alma mater, Texas A & M University, was created in Worthington's honor after his death.

He was survived by his parents, maternal grandmother, Minnie Reisinger Clayton Schylander, maternal step-grandfather, Thure Schylander, and multiple aunts, uncles and cousins. Worthington was preceded in death by his maternal uncles, Calvin and Robert Clayton, maternal grandfather, Burt Worthington Clayton, and paternal grandparents, Julia Fountain Franks and William Franks.

Worthington A Franks