Honorable Humes J. Franklin, Jr.

The Honorable Humes Jefferson Franklin, Jr. (retired), of Waynesboro, died Tuesday morning, June 23, 2026, at the Shenandoah House at Augusta Health in Fishersville.

He was born on January 31, 1942, at the University of Virginia Hospital.

He graduated from Waynesboro High School in 1960. Judge Franklin attended Wittenberg College (now University), graduating in 1964. He attended the University of Virginia Law School, graduating in 1967. After law school he returned to Waynesboro and practiced law with his father, Humes Jefferson Franklin, Sr. at the Franklin & Poindexter law firm (now Franklin, Denney, Ward & Strosnider). He represented clients for 30 years until 1997, when Governor George Allen appointed him to be a circuit court judge. Judge Franklin served as a circuit court judge presiding over cases in the cities of Waynesboro, Staunton, and Buena Vista as well as the counties of Bath, Highland and Augusta. He was one of the organizers of the Staunton/Waynesboro/Augusta Drug Court that helped countless people beat addiction. He retired at the end of his 70th year (the then statutory age of retirement) in 2013. Although officially retired, he continued to sit regularly as a substitute judge until 2022.

An active and faithful member of Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church in Waynesboro, he served as president of numerous church councils and was a lay delegate to the Virginia ELCA Synod.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Humes and Dorothea Franklin. He is survived by his wife, Barbara Leavitt Franklin, his two children: Humes “Tripp” Jefferson Franklin, III (Jean) and Courtney Franklin Wiegard (Spencer), and seven grandchildren: Brodie Franklin, Quinn Franklin, Thea Franklin, Elliott Wiegard, Brynne Wiegard, Reva Sloane Franklin, and Humes “Trotter” Jefferson Franklin, IV.

The family will have a private burial.

A celebration of his life will be conducted at Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church on Wednesday, July 1 at 11:00 a.m. 500 S. Wayne Avenue, Waynesboro presided by the Rev. Wes Smith and Rev. James Pence. There will be a reception in the fellowship hall following the service.

Memorial donations may be made to D.K. Franklin, Zion Cemetery Trust Fund, P.O. Box 1141 Fisherville, Va 22939 or the Hospice of the Shenandoah Gifted Care Fund, payable to Augusta Health, P.O. Box 909 Fishersville, Virginia 22939.