Franklin Shytles

Franklin C. "Chunk" Shytles, age 74, passed away on Friday, June 29, 2007 at the Asheville Veterans Administration Medical Center following an extended illness. Mr. Shytles was born June 3, 1933 in Caroleen, NC to the late Forrest Shytles and Lydia Alford Shytles. He grew up in the Caroleen area graduating from Tri High School in 1951. He is a veteran of the Korean Conflict serving in the U.S. Navy after high school. He married Amelia Putman on June 23, 1955 in Gaffney, SC. He attended Appalachian State where he received his Bachelors degree in both Business Education and Social Studies. After college he went to work for the Rutherford County school district teaching initially at Forest City Grammar School. He later became a teacher at East High School starting during its first school year of operation as the head basketball coach, assistant baseball and football coach and drivers education instructor. After 6 ½ years with the school system he went to work for Broyhill Furniture working as Personnel Manager at their Rutherfordton Plant until his retirement over 30 years later on July 8, 1997. He was a long-time member of Florence Baptist Church having served in the office of deacon. He was also instrumental in starting the Pop Warner Football league, which was initially the Youth Football league; he also coached Little League Baseball. Most knew him affectionately as "Coach" or later as "Pa".