Former State Journal business editor Bob Franzmann dies at 86

Bob Franzmann, who worked for more than 30 years at the Wisconsin State Journal in Madison, died Monday, July 19. He was 86.

bob franzmann
Bob Franzmann

Born in Coloma, Mich., Franzmann attended UW-Milwaukee, where he discovered his love of journalism. He graduated in 1962 as a part of the school’s first class of journalism graduates.

Franzmann started his newspaper career at the Rhinelander Daily News, spending a year there before joining the State Journal newsroom in 1963. He would remain with the Madison newspaper through his retirement in 1994.

While working at the State Journal, Franzmann also served as a public information officer for the U.S. Navy on weekends. He served as a general assignment reporter for the newspaper before going on to cover the police beat and serve as an assistant editor. In 1988, he was named business editor — the role until retiring in 1994.

Franzmann and his wife, Joan, had a daughter, Kate, and four grandchildren. A picnic celebrating Bob and Joan’s lives will be held at 1 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 31, at Blue Mounds State Park, west of Madison.

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