Suzanne Marie Franks was born in Jackson, Mississippi on August 23, 1986 to her loving parents, Melvin Eugene Franks and Susan Tomat Franks. She was baptized at Trinity United Methodist Church in Savannah, Georgia on Easter Sunday, April 19, 1987. As a child, Suzanne was full of life, light, and spirit.

After graduating with highest honors from Statesboro High School in 2004, Suzanne graduated Summa Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Georgia Southern University in Statesboro, Georgia. While at Georgia Southern, Suzanne received numerous honors and awards, including: Faculty Certificate of Honor for an Outstanding Graduating Senior; Lifetime Membership in Delta Epsilon in recognition of academic excellence and strong leadership qualities; Who's Who Among American Universities and Colleges; U.S. Achievement Academy National Commemorative Award; and the National Honor Society in Psychology Lifetime Membership. During her time at Georgia Southern, Suzanne was President of Alpha Delta Chi Christian Sorority.

After college, Suzanne volunteered in various capacities, including at the Charter Conservatory School for Liberal Arts and Technology in Statesboro. Suzanne spent many weekends with her family in her mother's hometown of Savannah, Georgia, often attending the Lutheran Church of the Ascension. Suzanne loved art projects and was always creating or designing. She adored all the festivities of St. Patrick's Day in Savannah each year.

Suzanne's faith in Jesus Christ sustained her throughout her life, and she had a great devotion to and relationship with our loving Mother Mary. On May 31, 2016, Suzanne was received into full communion with the Roman Catholic Church at St. Matthew Catholic Church in Statesboro, Georgia. She was an active parishioner and attended daily Mass at St. Matthew for many years.

In 2019, Suzanne moved with her family to Framingham, Massachusetts and became a member of St. Bridget Parish. When Suzanne was no longer able to physically attend daily Mass, she watched Mass every morning livestreamed from the Divine Mercy Chapel in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, and continued to attend Mass at St. Bridget every time she was well enough to do so, sitting in the front row with her family. For the last three years, nearly every day Suzanne received the Eucharist from an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion.

Baptized on Easter Sunday, Suzanne moved into glory just days after Easter Sunday on Thursday, April 9, 2026 at 6:04PM at home, strengthened by the sacraments, surrounded by loved ones, and holding the hand of her sister. Throughout her life, Suzanne experienced profound suffering and pain from the complications of Friedreich's Ataxia. Yet Suzanne never let this suffering keep her from joy and life. She loved to read theology, and biographies of the lives of the saints. When reading became physically impossible, her family would read these books aloud to her. She had moments of smiling and laughing up until her very last days, offering up her great suffering with compassion for the pain of others.

Suzanne is preceded in death by her father, Dr. Melvin Eugene Franks, her grandparents, Betty Louise and William Franklin Tomat, and Bertie and Corbit Franks, her great-uncle, John Tomat, her cousins, Ann and William Reese, her uncle, Dr. Nicholas Hopkins and cousin, JenniLynn Hopkins, her friend, Lawrence Dessommes, her baby cousin, Silas Dean Carlson, and her therapy dog, Belle.

She leaves behind many beloved family members and friends, most especially her mother, Dr. Mary Susan Tomat Franks, her uncle, William Franklin Tomat, Jr., her dog, Beau, her sister, Mary Jacqueline Franks Elliot, her brother-in-law, Dr. Robert George Elliot III, and her two nieces, the little lights of her life: Ava Marie Lenora Elliot and Vera Abigail Elliot.

"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith" (2 Timothy 4:7). "For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then we will see face to face" (1 Corinthians 13:12).

Family and friends are invited to honor and remember Suzanne's life by gathering for a time of visitation in the McCarthy, McKinney & Lawler Funeral Home, 11 Lincoln St. Framingham on Tuesday morning, April 14th from 8:30 – 9:30AM. Her Funeral Mass will follow in St. Bridget Church, 830 Worcester Road, Framingham at 10 o'clock. Interment will be held in Bonaventure Cemetery, 330 Bonaventure Rd. Savannah, GA on Monday morning, April 20th at 11AM.