Franklin Leland 'Lee' Weed, Sr.

Weed, Franklin Leland Sr, “Lee”, age 60, closed his eyes on Monday, May 29th, 2023, after a long-standing battle with chronic health issues. They say that “Weeds are flowers too, once you get to know them.” Let me tell you about this particular Weed, known to all his friends & family by the name of Lee. Lee was born on August 24th, 1962. He was best described as being generous & loyal. He displayed a quiet strength in such a way that allowed him to be decisive, yet very mild-tempered. Even at his sickest he would never complain, he would just smile and say that he was fine. If anyone referred to Lee as being stubborn, he would kindly reply ‘I’m determined, not stubborn, there’s a difference’. And determined this man was… If the heart is compared to a garden, a girl by the name of Pam Bailey was a flower that Lee wanted to plant in his. Lee would often say that long before she knew it, he was convinced that he would marry her one day. On February 2, 1990, he showed the world just how serious he was about that statement, when they exchanged vows & he gave Pam his last name. Those two were inseparable. You would never see one without the other. It was truly as if their roots became intertwined, as they became one. Inevitably as their love grew, so did their garden. Before you knew it, even more Weeds & “Weedletts” started to spring up. First to appear was Franklin L. Weed Jr (married to Bianca M. Weed); followed by Brittany G. Weed; and then came Amanda E. Sherrard (married to Kevin R. Sherrard); Grandchildren soon began to sprout up also: Franklin L. Weed III, Kailani M. Weed, Baby girl (in the belly still) Weed; Nathan D. Sherrard, Ethan R. Sherrard & Savannah R. Sherrard.

Some of Lee’s proudest achievements followed shortly after dedicating his life as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses on November 16, 1991. Reaching out to serve more fully and help shepherd the congregations that he was currently a part of brought an immense amount of joy & happiness. Volunteering full-time, side by side with his wife Pam in the ministry were some of his days best spent. Lee also loved food. Eating was considered a happy pastime for him (including foods that he was ‘supposed’ to be avoiding). Playing a competitive game of spades or chess was often enjoyed alongside friends. And friendly arguments typically followed whenever a decision or move was made that didn’t seem to make any sense to him. While in the car during family road trips Lee would make mention of the mile markers & signs as they passed them by. Pam smiled as she recalled that Lee even managed to pick out a few signs during their most recent trip to North Carolina together. Although Lee was infamously known to his wife & children as being a stickler for punctuality and dinner table etiquette, his grandkids were the exceptions to all the rules. They could sing, dance, & even put their tiny elbows on the table. The meal would begin when Kailani would say: “Pop-Pop say prayer”, normally followed by little Leland reminding everyone that “I am Pop-Pop and Pop-Pop is me”. And distance never prevented this Pop-Pop from cultivating relationships with his three little Sherrard “Weedletts “in Oklahoma. FaceTiming with them was always something special he looked forward to. Miles apart but close at heart. The role that Lee played in this garden called life will forever be remembered by all that loved and knew him. And as the days & weeks ahead pass by, and when life doesn’t seem to be coming up roses, we will look to the example that this one very important Weed set for all of us.

Franklin L. Weed Sr. is predeceased by Loretta Weed (mother); and June Repko (sister). He is survived by: Pamela L. Weed (wife); Franklin L. Weed Jr. (son) & daughter-in-law, Bianca M. Weed; Brittany G. Weed (daughter); Amanda E. Sherrard (daughter) & son-in-law Kevin R. Sherrard; Franklin S. Weed (Father); Grandchildren, Franklin L. Weed III & Kailani M. Weed; Nathan D. Sherrard, Ethan R. Sherrard & Savannah R. Sherrard. Siblings: Millard K. Weed (aka Kenny) (Wife, Kathy); Raymond Weed (Wife, Donna); Ronald Weed; Loretta Largo (Husband, Frank); and John D. Weed (aka JD) (Wife, Brandi).

Services will be conducted on Saturday, June 10, 2023 with 1PM video and 2PM services at Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses, 4747 US 30, Egg Harbor City, NJ 08201. For those that wish, you may view on Zoom (Meeting ID: 828 0918 1100, Passcode: Meeting). For online condolences, please visit www.parselsfh.com.