Dave’s mother, Betsy Lou (née Verne), is a poet, author, and editor, and his father, Douglas Eugene “Doug” Franco, ran a non-profit agency and a shipping container security company. The two met as students at Stanford University. Franco’s father was of Portuguese and Swedish descent and Franco’s mother is Jewish, a descendant of immigrants from Russia (her family’s surname had been changed from “Verovitz” to “Verne”). His paternal grandmother, Marjorie (Peterson) Franco, is a published author of young adult books; his maternal grandmother, Mitzie (Levine) Verne, owns the Verne Art Gallery, a prominent art gallery in Cleveland, and was an active member in the National Council of Jewish Women while his late grandfather was a cartoonist.
Father: Douglas Franco
Occupation: Computer Programmer
Mother: Betsy Levine Verne
Occupation: Author, editor, and poetGrandmother: Mitzie Verne
Grandfather: Daniel Verne
Uncle: Michael Verne
Siblings: 2 older brothers; Tom (Thomas) and James
Cats: Harry and Arturo
