Richard Franklin

Daniel

Richard Franklin Daniel, 88, passed away at his residence in Dothan, Alabama November 7, 2026, surrounded by his family.

A Celebration of Life Service will be held Thursday, November 12, 2026 at 11:00 a.m. in the New Hinson Baptist Church with Reverend Bryan Klobe officiating and Sorrells Funeral Home of Slocomb directing. Interment will follow with military honors in the church cemetery. The family will receive friends at the church on Thursday one hour prior to service time.

Richard and his wife, Jeannette, of 65 years have called Alabama home since 1985 and lived in Slocomb until 2024 when they moved to Dothan to be near their children where they loved the daily comings and goings of their children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. Born on August 20, 1938 in Covington, Tennessee to Frank and Flora Daniel. He grew up there with his five brothers and three sisters. He graduated from Byars Hall High School in 1956 and was in the naval reserve during high school. He then served in the Air Force until 1960 and was a radio repair man and radio mechanic on aircraft and spoke often of his time in Labrador, Newfoundland, on the airbase. Richard met Jeannette through his younger sister Etta, who ran around with her in high school. He met her when he was home on furlough and they started dating when he was discharged from the service. They were married on Sunday, August 20, 1961 at Liberty Baptist Church in Covington, TN. He always said he would not forget his anniversary because it was the best birthday present ever. He went back to school on the G.I. Bill and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering with a minor in computer programming from the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. He also worked while attending school and had four young children by the time he graduated. He and his younger brother Morris, attended UT at the same time and both graduated the same year with engineering degrees. Both families lived in married housing and spent much time together. After graduation, he worked for Rockwell International and was the development test lab supervisor and later motor design engineer in Jackson, TN. He spearheaded several designs including a line of motors to be produced on an automated motor assembly line. He then transitioned to Quality Control and worked for several companies, including Arrow Automotive Industries where he set up the Quality Control department in their new plant in Morrilton, Arkansas. He then worked at Lake Center Industries in Winona, MN, where he designed electro-mechanical devices used in the automotive industry; GE in Tell City, Indiana, where he was a process control engineer and was responsible for quality processes and design while also conducting statistical studies and experiments; Globe motors in Dothan, AL where as a senior quality control engineer, he implemented new test processes and initiated a failure analysis system; and Daybright Lighting in Tupelo, Mississippi, where he was a senior quality engineer and designed many products including testers for warehouse lighting products and also taught Quality Analytics at the local community college as an outreach program sponsored by Daybright. After he retired from his 9 to 5 job, Richard started his own business, Circle D industries, Inc, a plastic media and sand blasting business in Slocomb, AL. He was a member of the Wiregrass antique and collector car club in Dothan, AL and helped restore many classic and antique cars and other antique pieces. He also had many designs and patents throughout his lifetime including a touchless finger pricking device used to check blood sugar. Richard loved to cook and was known for his “pawpaw bread” which was adopted from a Welsh recipe that he discovered when he visited his sister Etta in Wales. He and Jeannette made and delivered loaves of bread every Christmas to church members and prospects, friends, family, and neighbors. One year they delivered 46 loaves. His bread opened many doors and allowed he and his fellow church visitation teams to minister and present the gospel to many shut ins and the community at large. Richard was first and foremost a family man and had a little bit of nomad in him. He loved to travel and took his family on many vacations across the United States and took these opportunities to enjoy and teach his children. He and Jeannette raised their six children in the church; Frankie, Debbie, Marty, Tony, Jill, and Patrick. They were active members in church wherever their travels took them. Richard and Jeannette actively participated in their children’s spiritual education and taught their children in Sunday school, Vacation Bible School, and Youth ministry for many years. They continued this ministry with their grandchildren. Richard loved developing hands-on projects for the youth in the church and his children and grandchildren still have many of those creations to this day. He loved the Lord and prayed for all of his children, grandchildren, great grandchildren and future family members daily. He made Bible reading and prayer a priority and made sure each of his children had a personal relationship with the Lord. He was ordained a Deacon at Tell Street Baptist Church in Tell City, Indiana and continued to serve as a deacon at various churches. He and Jeannette are active members at New Hinson Baptist Church in Slocomb, AL. After moving to Dothan, Sunday afternoons after church were reserved for family time and Mexican Train Dominoes where many happy and wonderful family memories were made. Anyone was welcome to participate including friends and neighbors and many times the table that Richard built for his large family was crowded with players.

Richard is preceded in death by his parents, Louis Franklin Daniel and Flora Goode Daniel of Covington, TN. His siblings, Amy Daniel Anderson of Collierville, TN; Morris Daniel of Decatur, AL; Cham Daniel of Covington, TN; Peck Daniel of Memphis, TN; and Dolly Lott of Memphis, TN. His granddaughter-in-law Clara McCready Daniel of Dothan, AL.

Richard is survived by his wife of 65 years, Martha Jeannette Smith Daniel of Dothan, AL. His children, Frankie Jeannette Daniel Miller and husband Dr. Chris Miller of Dothan, AL; Dr. Deborah Gail Daniel Harris and husband Jonathan of Alford, FL; Richard Martin “Marty” Daniel of Cottonwood, AL; Anthony Dewayne “Tony” Daniel and wife Kim of Newton, AL; Nancy Jill Daniel Garzarek and husband Fred of Dothan, AL; Patrick Allen “Pat” Daniel and wife Marcie of Taylor, AL. His grandchildren, Anne Miller, Christopher Miller Jr, Daniel Miller and wife Kendall, Jennifer Daniel Falk and husband Adam, Emily Daniel, Matthew Daniel, Jonathan Daniel, Evie Hodac, Farrah Garzarek, Tyler Daniel, Natalie Daniel Jones and husband Jayce, Emma Daniel Brannon and husband Myles. His great-grandchildren, Bennett Jones and Ella Garzarek. His siblings, Louis Daniel of Covington, TN and Mary Etta Hallewell of Rossville, TN.