Sometimes it was the simple things that put a smile on Tom French’s face.
He loved riding his grandkids across his 30-acre Alpharetta farm on a tractor, cutting firewood, rocking on the front porch and piddlin’ in his barn.
Then sometimes it was something a little more complex, like the perfect diamond in the perfect setting.
French, owner of the former French’s Jewelers, was a jewelry craftsman. He was among the best in the metro Atlanta area during his time in business, said friend John Iroff, of Iroff and Son Jewelers.
“Just like a home builder would build a house, Tom would build a ring,” Iroff said. “He was an expert craftsman.”
French began his career in jewelry in the ‘40s, training under Dan Geller, Scott French said of his father. Then in 1953, he and a brother established French’s, first in downtown Atlanta. The store moved to Sandy Springs in the ‘70s and then to Dunwoody Village in the ‘80s. French retired, closing the store, in 1990.
“In hindsight, I wish I’d done more work with him,” Iroff said. “His work looked so perfect, and he’d work as long as he needed to get it that way.”
George Thomas French, of Alpharetta, and most recently Roswell, died in his sleep Friday at his assisted-living residence. He was 85.
A service is planned for 1 p.m. Tuesday at Roswell Funeral Home, which is also in charge of arrangements.
Born in LaGrange, but raised in Atlanta, French graduated from Tech High School in the mid-‘40s. Shortly thereafter he started his training in jewelry repair, said his daughter, Terri Burdett.
“He eventually became an artisan,” she said. “The turn in his business came when places like Service Merchandise could produce so much faster, but that wasn’t what he was into. He was creating a one-of-a-kind piece of jewelry. That takes longer.”
French didn’t mind taking his time when and where it was necessary, his daughter said. He didn’t rush through anything, especially the time he spent with his family. In 2002 he buried his wife of 54 years, Runelle French, with whom he raised two children.
After his retirement, the Frenches traveled and enjoyed their children and grandchildren, Scott French said of his parents.
“There are so many good memories,” French said of his father. “He left us with so many wonderful memories that will make us smile.”
In addition to his son and daughter, French is survived by sisters, Kathleen Huckaby of Birmingham, Ala., Betty Cowart of Mableton, and Dianne Sledge of Loganville; and six grandchildren.
About the Author
