Melanie Rae Franklin

Melanie Rae Franklin, 69, of Dayton, Ohio, peacefully passed away on July 12, 2026, at the Cleveland Clinic after a long and courageous battle with illness.

Born on October 6, 1956, in Escanaba, Michigan, Melanie was the beloved daughter of Robert and Arvilla Page. Although she was born in Michigan, she and her family ultimately made the Dayton, Ohio area their home following her husband Larry's retirement from military service, where they built a life filled with love, laughter, creativity, and enough craft supplies to keep several generations busy.

Melanie shared a remarkable love story with her husband, Larry D. Franklin, formerly of Gary, Indiana. Together for 52 years and married for nearly 49, they were just two days shy of celebrating their 49th wedding anniversary. Their marriage was built on devotion, partnership, and countless memories that will continue to bring comfort to those who knew them.

To know Melanie, "Mrs. Needle", was to know creativity. She was an avid crafter and reader whose curiosity rarely met a hobby she wasn't willing to try. Whether it involved paper, paint, yarn, fabric, beads, or something entirely unexpected, Melanie embraced each project with enthusiasm and talent. If there was a craft she hadn't attempted, it was probably only because someone hadn't invented it yet.

**And then there was the glitter.**

For Melanie, "Mrs. Needle" glitter wasn't simply a crafting supply. It was practically a lifestyle. She believed life was better with a little sparkle and often joked that **"glitter is the herpes of craft supplies"** because no matter how thoroughly you cleaned up, it always managed to show up somewhere weeks, months, or even years later. Anyone who ever left her craft room carrying an inexplicable shimmer on their clothing knew they had been in the presence of true artistic greatness. Long after the glitter disappeared from the carpet, her sparkle remained in the hearts of those who loved her.

Melanie possessed a heart as generous as her imagination. She never hesitated to lend a helping hand, offer encouragement, or create something special simply to brighten someone else's day. Her kindness, compassion, and quiet generosity touched countless lives and left behind a legacy far greater than any craft project ever could.

She is lovingly survived by her devoted husband, Larry D. Franklin; her daughter, Eileen Patrice Franklin Jerome and husband, Gregory Jerome, of Dayton, Ohio; her son, Eric Allen Franklin and wife, Jessica Daugherty Franklin; and her cherished granddaughter, Katherine Grace Franklin of Farmersville, Ohio.

She is also survived by her sisters, Monica Page Welch of Spalding, Michigan, and Martha Page Savord of Hermansville, Michigan; her brothers, Kenneth Page of Rhinelander, Wisconsin, and Ervin Page of Appleton, Wisconsin; along with many beloved nieces, nephews, extended family members, and dear friends who will miss her deeply.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Robert and Arvilla Page; her brother, Robert Page; and her sister, Marian Page VanDrese.

In accordance with Melanie's wishes, she will be cremated. A Celebration of Life will be announced at a later date. She requested that, in place of flowers, family and friends simply gather together, share stories, laugh often, and remember the joy she brought into their lives.

Though our hearts are heavy, we find comfort knowing that somewhere heaven just became a little brighter...and perhaps just a bit more difficult to vacuum.

She may be gone from our sight, but somewhere, somehow, we're fairly certain heaven now has glitter on the floor that no one will ever completely clean up. And Melanie wouldn't have wanted it any other way.

**Her glitter may settle, but her sparkle never will.**