The NIOA - Special Announcement
We are saddened to share the passing of Mike Franke, who served as an officer and in other supporting roles for the Northern Indiana Operator's Association. Our prayers are with Mike's family as they mourn his death.
OBITUARY
May 20, 1952 – February 26, 2025
Michael "Mike" Edward Franke, 72, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, passed away on Wednesday, February 26, 2025. He was born on May 20, 1952, to the late Robert E. and Ruthann (Jacobs) Franke. Mike and Jane recently celebrated 50 years of marriage. As the eldest sibling in a family of seven, Mike was, first and foremost, a devoted family man. He cared deeply about all of his family, especially his grandchildren, of whom he was immensely proud. No achievement of theirs was too small to celebrate, and he beamed with pride in all they did. Mike pursued his passion for coaching soccer at Carroll High School for an incredible 26 years. Known affectionately as "Frank-Dog" by his players, Mike was more than a coach—he was a mentor, a leader, and a fixture of the Carroll soccer community. Outside of coaching, Mike ran his own successful business. Never retiring, his work helped provide him with focus, accomplishment, and personal connections; all of which brought him great pride. Mike found endless joy in his time at Oliver Lake, where he was always putzing around and fixing things. And no weekend at the lake was spent without a trip to his favorite ice cream shop, Lucy’s.
He is survived by his loving wife, Sara Jane Franke; children, Kyle (Kim) Franke and Kurt (Corrie) Franke; grandchildren, Drew, Derek, Kaleb, Logan, and Addy; and siblings, Karen Grashoff, Kathy Polston, Fred Franke, and Joe Franke. He was preceded in passing by his siblings, Jim Franke, and Karel VanDerSnick. A visitation will be held on Thursday, March 13, 2025, from 4:00pm to 6:00pm at Advantage Funeral & Cremation Services - Highland Park, 2403 East Wallen Road, Fort Wayne, Indiana 46825. A funeral service will be at St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church, 1502 East Wallen Road, Fort Wayne, Indiana 46825, on Friday, March 14, 2025 at 10:30am with visitation beginning at 9:30am. In lieu of flowers, donations in memory of Coach Mike Franke may be made to Carroll Soccer.
Contributions can be dropped off or mailed to:
Carroll High School
3701 Carroll Road, Fort Wayne, Indiana 46818
Please make checks payable to Carroll High School and note that the donation is in honor of Mike Franke.
