Obituary of Johnny Joseph Franco

A devoted husband and proud father John Franco passed away with his wife of 65 years, Audrey, by his side. Raised in Morgan Hill, CA he was born a twin and one of 11 children of Spanish immigrants. John's Father and Mother came to America and ultimately California from Spain in 1911 where they became farmers in Morgan Hill. John served in the Army in the tank division and fought in Europe during WWII. He settled in Hollister in 1955 where he worked for Pacific Gas and Electric Company for 40 years. There on his ranch he grew apricots, grapes and walnuts for many years. John enjoyed the outdoors. He loved to fish and was an avid hunter. For many years he raised and raced pigeons. Johnny was best known for his style of dancing as he and his wife would eloquently float across the dance floor. After his working years as a pipeline mechanic for PG&E he enjoyed his retirement years working on his ranch. He spent his free time pulling the handle of the slot machine or playing blackjack on their many trips to the casinos. Recently, his favorite pastime was sitting with his wife every morning over coffee admiring the wild birds feeding out their dining room window. Johnny is survived by his devoted wife Audrey and his three children Mark (Debbie), Gail and Greg (Michelle) and three grandchildren; John, Amber and Joseph, and many nieces and nephews. Visitation will be on Wednesday, June 1, 2016 from 09:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. at Grunnagle-Ament-Nelson Funeral Home. Funeral services will begin at 11:00 a.m. followed by burial at IOOF Cemetery which will include full military honors. A reception will be held at Pains Restaurant. Donations are preferred to the American Heart Association c/o the mortuary.