“Frank” Bernice Franklin Privette | Eastern North Carolina Now

    Bernice Franklin Privette, of 212 Holly Drive, Washington, died Saturday, July 25, 2015, of a heart attack and after a battle with Lewy Body Dementia.

    Frank was born March 5, 1937, in Wake County to Dave and Effie O'Neal Privette of Zebulon, NC, their baby boy. He graduated from Wakelon High School in 1955.

    Frank married his high-school sweetheart Hilda Marie Brannan, Wakelon High School Class of 1958, on September 5, 1958. They had two children: Sonia and Kenny. Frank worked for several industries, retiring in April 1996 after 22 years from Bayer Corp, Clayton, NC.

    Frank and Hilda enjoyed traveling and meeting people. They bought their first Florida pop-up camper in 1964, when Sonia was 4 and Kenny was 2. With their children, they traveled extensively around the southeastern part of the US. Knowing they wanted to spend their retirement years traveling, they sold their home in Zebulon, bought a motor home and moved their legal residence to their daughter's home in Washington. They ended their travels with a 39-foot motor home. During 50 years of traveling, they visited every state in the US, driving a motor home to Alaska twice and flying to Hawaii. Frank and Hilda visited every province of Canada, including walking inside the Arctic Circle. They traveled in Mexico, New Zealand and Australia. Wherever they went, they made friends, many of them in Ontario, Canada. During several of the trips, they were accompanied by traveling buddies Roger and Suzanne Root and Dale and Margie Miller.

    Surviving are wife Hilda Privette and daughter Sonia Privette of the home; son Kenny Privette, his wife Lisa and grandson Michael Johnson of Fuquay-Varina, NC; granddaughter Tara Beasley and husband Richard of Benson, NC; four great-grandchildren; brother Wayne Privette and wife Betty of Zebulon; brother-in-law Harold Brannan of Zebulon; several nieces and nephews and a host of friends.

    Frank was predeceased by his parents Dave and Effie O'Neal Privette; sisters Vivian Trevathan, Theda Alford and Elsie Oakley and brother Curtis Privette.

    The funeral will be at Massey Funeral Home, Zebulon, NC at 2:00 pm on Wednesday, July 29th. Burial will follow in Gethsemane Memorial Gardens, Zebulon, immediately following the service, with visitation in the Gethsemane Mausoleum Chapel.

    Flowers are welcome. Donations may be made in Frank's name to Lewy Body Dementia Association, 912 Killian Hill Rd., S.W., Lilburn, GA 30047, www.lbda.org.

    The family wishes to express their thanks and appreciation to Frank's caregivers: Ridgewood Manor, River Trace Nursing Center and Golden Way Home Care, all in Washington; Brookdale, Smithfield, NC, and Avante, Wilson, NC.

    Arrangements are by Massey Funeral Home, Zebulon, www.masseyfuneralhome.com.