FRANCO, GILBERTO, age 70, of Mt. Pleasant passed away Sunday, November 27, 2016, at Midland Hospital with his family by his side.

A Funeral Mass for Gilberto will be held at 11 a.m. on Thursday, December 1, at Sacred Heart Catholic Church with Fr. Loren Kalinowski officiating. Interment will follow in Memorial Gardens Cemetery. A luncheon will be held following the Committal Service in the Tribal Gym. The family will receive friends from 7-9 p.m. on Tuesday, November 29, and 3-5 and 7-9 p.m. on Wednesday, November 30, at Clark Family Funeral Chapel with a Prayer Service that evening at 7:30 p.m. Visitation will continue the day of Service from 10-11 a.m. at the church. Memorial contributions may be made to the family. Envelopes will be available at the funeral chapel and the church.

Gilberto was born January 11, 1946, in Crystal City, TX, the son of Jose A. and Aguda “Agnes” (Cantu) Franco. He served in the U.S. Army and received military honors. Gilberto married Brenda Kaye Hudak-Jackson on April 28, 1968. He had worked for 34 years as a carpenter through the Lansing Carpenters Local Union. Gilberto was a member of Sacred Heart Catholic Church and the Carpenters Local Union. He could tear apart anything and fix it. He enjoyed going to the casino and playing slots, watching boxing, football and baseball, working outside and gardening. Gilberto loved cooking and spending time with his wife and family. He was a kind, generous and thoughtful person and would help anyone in need.

Gilberto is survived by the love of his life, his wife, Brenda Kaye Franco, of Mt. Pleasant; four children Lynette Franco (significant other Karl Wakeman), Jeri Kaye Franco (Ted Zulkowski), Gilberto “Meko” E. Franco (Bobbie Jo Redmond) and Bonita Angelita Ashkea Franco (Matthew Nixon), all of Mt. Pleasant; 13 grandchildren, Travis Kendall (fiance’ Cherish), Alisha Franco (Angel), Kara Franco (Shavelle), Allison Franco (James), Anthony Franco-Campbell, Fernando Franco-Campbell (fiance’ Robert Curtis), Alex Bryant, Gilberto E. “Little Meko”, Jr., Angelo Louis Franco, Gavin Seybert, Aliana Seybert, Owen Franco-Seybert, and Gabriella Nixon; 7 great-grandchildren, Amare Kendall, Madisen Kendall, Lilliana Hunt, Aiyana Romero, Little Anthony Franco-Campbell, Faith Franco-Campbell and Nevaeh Franco-Campbell; brothers Manuel Franco (Jeannie) of Kingsley, Jose Angel Franco II of Plainview, Texas, and Ramon Franco (Melba) of Alma; sisters San Juanita Teeple of Morley and Alma Martinez of Farwell; and family pets Pablo, Molly and Princess.