SIDNEY — The president of Sidney Electric will be one of the inductees into the Lehman Catholic High School Hall of Fame. The Lehman Catholic High School Alumni Association recently announced the school’s 10th annual induction class, which includes three alumni, one former principal and a school board president who was instrumental in merging Holy Angels High School and Piqua Catholic High School to form Lehman.
Since beginning this tradition, the Hall of Fame committee has sought to honor not only alumni but outstanding faculty and supporters of Lehman Catholic. Five distinguished individuals — Sister Patricia Mirsberger, John Frantz, Frank Gilardi Jr., the Rev. Dennis Jaspers,and James McClain — will be inducted at Lehman Hall of Fame festivities on Saturday, Aug. 6, 2016.
The Hall of Fame evening will begin with Mass at 5:15 p.m. in the St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Chapel on campus. Mass will be concelebrated by Rev. Benedict O’Cinnsealaigh, a former Lehman chaplain who currently serves as Rector of Mount St. Mary’s Seminary in Cincinnati, and Rev. Dennis Jaspers, one of the Hall of Fame recipients. Cocktails and hors d’oeuvres will be served at 6:00 p.m. with dinner to follow at 6:30 p.m. in the Cianciolo Family Gymnasium. The dinner will be catered by The Spot.
One of the inductees to the 2016 Hall of Fame is John Frantz, Lehman class of 1974. One of 13 children of the late Richard and Harriet Frantz, John has distinguished himself as an engineer, business owner, community leader, and active supporter of his church and his Alma Mater.
In 1979, Frantz graduated from Purdue University with a Bachelor of Science, Construction Engineering and Management with an Electrical Specialty. He began work at the Sidney Electric Company, becoming vice president in 1992, and president/owner of the company in 1996. He has been active in the National Electrical Contractors Association, serving on various committees and as a board member and trustee. He serves as the NECA Western Ohio Chapter Governor and on the Electric International Foundation. In 2011, he was inducted into the Academy of Electrical Contracting.
A lifelong member of Holy Angels Catholic Church, Frantz is also a member of Knights of Columbus Council 659 and Rotary International. An Eagle Scout, he has served as Boy Scout Troop 95 Committee Member since 2008, and executive board member of the Boy Scout Miami Valley Council since 2010.
Frantz and his wife, Julia, are the parents of three Lehman graduates – Sarah (Nathan) Liggett ’05, Anna ’07, and Grace ’14. Son John-Henry is a current Lehman senior who will graduate in 2017.
Frantz has been a member of the Lehman Foundation Board since 2008, and he and Mrs. Frantz have been awarded the Lehman Fellow and Bronze Fellow by the Foundation for their service and support of the school. Frantz also recently established an endowed Lehman Catholic scholarship in honor of his parents to provide ongoing tuition assistance and support for Lehman Catholic students in generations to come.
“John and his family’s support for Lehman has been continuous, and frankly unprecedented,” said nominator Bill Bosway. “Most recently, John has become a lead supporter of Lehman’s new STEM+MM initiative, which is incredibly exciting and important for the future of Lehman. John just makes things happen. Our first Under the Lights Homecoming does not happen without John. He made a Friday night football game come to life at Lehman, something never done before!”
Frantz has also served on a number of past Lehman committees including the Secure the Future Committee, the 21st Century Campaign, and the Focus Group for Lehman Catholic.
Current Lehman Science Department Chair Sister Ginny Scherer, who was one of John’s teachers in the 1970’s, seconded the nomination with these words: “John was very involved while in high school with sports, extracurricular activities, and with science… Even though he was super involved, he was the first to volunteer when help was needed or to stay afterward to help clean up from an activity. You could always count on him to do whatever was needed. He was so generous. Now that I have taught (and am teaching) his children, I see that he has instilled this spirit of generosity in them.”
Frantz would probably not think that any of his accomplishments are extraordinary. His history of giving back and service to others is just part of who he is. As Bosway concluded, “Here is why John should be in the Hall of Fame – he truly loves Lehman, and as important, he is someone who cares more about his family and others than he cares about himself.”
