Franklin Marion McCraven, 78, passed away on May 30, 2013 at his home in Tarzana, Calif. He was born Feb. 21, 1935 in Rock Hill, S.C. to Lester and Beulah McCraven and raised in Fort Mill – one a family of eight boys and two girls.

As a young man, he served as a Marine during the Korean War, with later tours of duty in Japan, Florida and Southern California. He studied at UCLA and the College of Wooster in Ohio before earning his B.A. in Philosophy at Belhaven College in Jackson. After college, Frank worked as Commandant of Chamberlain-Hunt Academy in Port Gibson before entering Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, Ga., where he earned his Master of Divinity. On Aug. 2, 1963, he married Elizabeth (Betty) Lown in Glenhaven, Ga.; this August would have marked their 50th wedding anniversary.

Once ordained, Frank ministered in several pulpits: Wesson and Monticello Presbyterian Churches in Mississippi, Fayette Presbyterian Church in Fayetteville, Ga., First Presbyterian Church in Brookhaven and Eleanor Presbyterian Church in Eleanor, W.V. Frank concurrently served as a Naval Reserve Chaplain, involved in diverse work both stateside and overseas. He worked closely with the Seabees and the Marines stationed in Mississippi and Louisiana. During Desert Storm, Frank was base chaplain for Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune in North Carolina. He ultimately reached the rank of Captain and retired from military service in 1994. In 2000, Frank “retired” from active ministry, and he and Betty moved from West Virginia to Los Angeles to be closer to their only grandchild. There, he assisted the Presbytery of San Fernando and the Synod of Southern California and Hawaii, acting as a pastor to congregations in need and providing expert counsel on issues of church law.

He was a loving husband, father, brother and grandfather who took great pride in his children and great joy from his time with his granddaughter, Emma. One of the final pictures taken of Frank is with Emma at a pre-Memorial Day celebration – in his dress whites, of course – a family and military man to the end.

Frank was preceded in death by his parents, Lester and Beulah McCraven, his brothers Ernest, Bill, Ray, Albert, Bennie and Coy McCraven, and his sister Annie Mae Galloway.

He is survived by his wife Betty of Tarzana, Calif.; his daughters Liz McCraven (Jill Slyter) of San Jose, Calif. and Amy Greenberg (Erik) of Sherman Oaks, Calif.; his brother Don McCraven (Agnes) of Rock Hill, S.C. and sister Brenda Rogers (David) of York, S.C.; his granddaughter Emma Greenberg of Sherman Oaks, Calif.; and numerous nieces and nephews.

Per his wish, Frank will be buried at sea in a private family ceremony. A memorial service will held at a later date in California.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial donations be made to Doctors Without Borders at www.doctorswithoutborders.org, Habitat for Humanity at www.habitat.org or a charity of one’s choice.