Colleen Rose Franklin passed away in the presence of family on March 27, 2020. Born to Dr. Harold Francis Corkrey and Leone Mary Butler of Bellevue, Colleen was born in Seattle on May 25th, 1936. Always a hard worker, she overcame dyslexia to become a member of the National Honor Society, and graduated as class salutatorian from Holy Names Academy in 1953. Though she was offered a full ride scholarship to study chemistry at the Holy Names College in Spokane, she declined it as she had already decided at the age of four to pursue her first love, classical ballet. 

At the age of 17, Colleen moved to New York City to study at the School of American Ballet with George Balanchine and his faculty, and the Ballet Russe School, where she excelled at her craft. Following a tour in “The King and I” with Yul Brynner, she joined the “Chicago Opera Ballet” for its tours, the New York season, then the “New York Opera Festival.” Though Colleen loved classical ballet, she also loved to sing, act, and make people laugh with her limitless facial expressions, all of which propelled her to the Broadway stage in productions such as “My Fair Lady”, “Beg Borrow or Steal”, and “Happy Town.” From 1962 – 1965, she performed as the resident ballerina at Radio City Music Hall. Sick of seeing cement every time she opened her window, Colleen’s quest for natural beauty compelled her to follow her wanderlust. With her Super-8 camera in hand, she toured the US, Canada, and Europe under the Columbia Artists banner. It was on one of those tours that she met her husband, and in 1969 she retired from dancing professionally to start a new career in motherhood. She continued to stay loyal to her first love, however, teaching on the faculty of New York’s “American Musical and Dramatic Academy” before opening her own schools in Nanuet, NY and Bellevue, WA. 

Colleen cherished her family. An avid family historian, Colleen compiled genealogical records, photographs, and stories to leave her family with detailed accounts of the past—and the present— connecting both groups together without the aid of social media. She edited the world as she saw it, and set it to the soundtrack of the Henry Mancini Orchestra. Colleen never failed to seek those elusive parts of life that are considered beautiful. She lived a beautiful career, had a beautiful family and sought to radiate her own inner beauty as best she could. 

She is preceded in death by her husband, Henry G. “Ardie” Franklin, her brother H.F. Corkrey Jr., and her sister Diane Leone Marshall. She is survived by her sisters, Mary Joan Garney, Judith Ann Monahan, and children Hank (Dicki), Richard, Arthur “Corky”, Amanda and Theresa (Carlos); grandchildren, Patrick, Rebecca, Ann, Joseph, Arthur Jr. “C.J.” and Grayson. 

Though she is irreplaceable in life, she leaves us many memories, some of which will be shared on ColleenCorkrey. com over the next few months. 

A robust celebration of life in her honor will be planned as soon as the family is legally permitted to do so.