Franklin Delano Biggs

Franklin Delano Biggs: 8/18/2023

“and on that day he came no more.” (A line from one of the old westerns he loved).

Born in Beckley, West Virginia on June 11, 1937, to Virginia and Columbus Biggs, from a hard scrabble family of miners and railroaders. His Grandfather, Herman, fought in the Civil War at age 16 on caisson detail. Columbus and Virginia moved with Frank, age 7, to Jacksonville, settling on the northside in 1947. Frank attended Maggie B. Rutherford Elementary, Kirby Smith Middle School, and graduated from Andrew Jackson High School in 1956.

Frank was a born supervisor. At age 8 he got a job cleaning up at a neighborhood fish market. He so impressed the owner that she put him in charge of all cleaning. Frank recruited friends and started his own crew. He then worked for Setzer’s and ran a warehouse crew for several years until he applied for, and got, a plumber’s apprenticeship.

Hired by Thompson and Beckwith, Frank worked his way up, becoming a master mechanical contractor and, for over 30 years, supervised many major industrial plumbing jobs. Included were preliminary work on Offshore Power Systems, the Busch plant in Williamsburg, Virginia, and Baptist Hospital Jacksonville.

During the 1960s Frank also served as a JSO policeman, working a downtown beat. He was present during the 1960 riots, an experience he seldom talked about. At his then wife Jeanette’s urging he retired from the force. This was the job he enjoyed and talked about most.

Returning to full time industrial plumbing supervisor with Thompson and Beckwith, he worked on the Edwin I. Hatch nuclear power plant. Frank was very knowledgeable about nuclear power. After a brief retirement he resumed work in a similar capacity with WW Gay. Later he started Biggs and Son Plumbing with his master plumber Mark Biggs.

Frank and Jeanette, his second wife, had three successful children: Cynthia B. Boggs (Scott) a neurosurgical nurse, Beth Ann Clayton (Tommy) a nurse supervisor at Baptist Hospital, Jacksonville, and Mark Biggs, a retired master plumber. He leaves behind close friends Ken and Anne Edmonds.

Franklin Delano Biggs was an interesting man full of stories. His lessons to his children were harsh at times but to the point and remembered by them, good and bad. He wished to be cremated and  returned to Princeton, West Virginia “on the hill above the hospital”.

Special Thanks to Estrella Director and Staff of Silver Treasures at Nocatee for their expert and loving care.