David Franchella

David Robert Franchella, age 65, of Wellborn, Florida, passed away Monday, August 5, 2019. He was born in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, moving from Mountain City, Georgia to Wellborn, Florida three years ago.
For over four decades, David dedicated his life and career to aviation. David retired as a Captain in the United States Naval Reserves as a pilot with 26 years of service in both the United States Navy and the United States Naval Reserves. He continued his career in aviation, retiring from both Delta Airlines and Atlas Air as an airline Captain and Flight Instructor. His head was always in the clouds and flying was second nature to him. He ended his long career as an instructor, passing on his passion to future generations of pilots and was lovingly called the “Tall Yoda of Flight Instructors.”
Throughout his career, David had the privilege of flying around the world countless times, always finding himself in new locations, yet never meeting a stranger. With his tall stature of 6'4", he was larger than life and yes, sometimes even louder than life, with arm gestures to match! His huge heart was infectious, and he couldn't help but hug anyone that was around. He would do anything for anyone and treated everyone like they were individually the most important person in the world. He truly was the embodiment of life itself. His life was always a party and he never missed an opportunity to throw one. Being an Italian, food was a huge part of his life. You could always find him either in his garden growing the freshest ingredients or by the grill cooking up the most delectable meal, always with a glass of wine in hand and Jimmy Buffet on the radio. In the end, he finally was able to enjoy life on his farm with his family, horses, and dogs, always winding down the day with his "best buddy" Aries and his bucket of popcorn.
He is survived by his wife, Billie Ann Franchella, Wellborn, FL; two sons, Jason (Dedra) Warneld, Atlanta, GA and William Franchella, Wellborn, FL; his four-legged sons, Aries and Harry the Bear; two daughters, Michelle (Doug) Magnus, Panama City Beach, FL and Maria Franchella, Wellborn, FL; a sister-in-law, Karen Franchella, Morristown, TN; three grandchildren, one great-grandchild, and several very dear nieces and nephews.
There will be no services for David per his wishes. Instead, he wanted a party. The celebration of his life will be held in Miami, Florida as well as in Georgia at a date and time that will later be announced. In lieu of flowers, people are invited to buy themselves a nice bottle of wine to celebrate David's life, donate to their favorite charity or do something that brings you joy. If you feel you must contribute, please contact the family to help with his celebration of life party.