Ron Franz

"It was a very hard thing for me to do," Franz says. "I was sad to be leaving him."
McCandless made an impact on everyone that he met. People really seemed to enjoy his company and Franz was one of them. In chapter 6, McCandless met a man named Ron Franz. Franz offered to give him a ride to his camp on the bajada.  McCandless and Franz chatted while on their way to the camp. Franz left McCandless at his place and he returned to his home in a small town where he lived alone and rent free. Franz was a Christian who served in the army. On New Years Eve while he was overseas, his wife and son were killed by a drunk driver. Franz then developed an addiction for alcohol. Months later he quit drinking and began to adopt children. When Franz met McCandless, he let go of his addiction. McCandless had a great impact on his life. Franz believed that McCandless was an intelligent young man and he felt that McCandless needed to get convinced to get an education. Little did Franz know that he was a college graduate. Franz and McCandless spent a lot of time together until McCandless had to leave to San Diego. Franz offered to take him and he also lied that he needed to go to San Diego anyway. Franz then dropped off McCandless at the San Diego waterfront. That is when Franz said that leaving McCandless was very hard for him. McCandless made a huge impact on this 80 year old man as he had a thing to do with Franz leaving his addiction. Franz also wanted to adopt McCandless because he lost a son. Franz grew fond of McCandless.