Lehman Hall of Fame to celebrate new inductees

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SIDNEY —The Lehman Catholic High School Alumni Association has announced the school’s 13th annual Lehman Hall of Fame Induction to be held on Saturday, Aug. 3, at the school.

Since beginning this tradition, the Hall of Fame committee has sought to honor not only alumni but outstanding faculty and supporters of Lehman Catholic. This year’s inductees include one alumnus, one coach and two community leaders who have served the school in various capacities. The four distinguished individuals who will join the other 48 members of the Lehman Hall of Fame are Robert C. Arbogast (Piqua Catholic High School ’43), Daniel U. Dunson, David M. McBride and Dennis W. Sollmann.

The Hall of Fame evening will begin with Mass at 5:15 p.m. in the St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Chapel on campus. Cocktails and hors d’oeuvres will be served at 6 p.m. with dinner to follow at 6:30 p.m. in The Pride Family Gymnasium.

The first inductee to the 2019 Hall of Fame is the late Robert C. Arbogast, Piqua Catholic High School class of 1943. Arbogast was nominated by two of his five children – Ann Arbogast and David Arbogast, both of Cincinnati. One child – Patricia – died young but the other four are graduates of Lehman Catholic (Ann ’72, Steve ’76, David ’79, and Lynn ’82).

Arbogast served as a staff sergeant in the European Theater during World War II. In 1950, he married Helen Ranson (who also graduated from Piqua Catholic in 1943) and the couple settled in their hometown of Piqua. Arbogast worked as an insurance salesman and adjuster, but was deeply involved in the community and St. Mary Church. In 1983, he was ordained as a deacon by the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. He was also president of the St. Mary Parish Council and was active in the St. Vincent de Paul Society. He was a member of Knights of Columbus Council 3344 and served as chaplain and Grand Knight.

Arbogast was active in the Piqua Chamber of Commerce and served as chairman of the Piqua Area United Fund Campaign. He was instrumental in the consolidation of Piqua Catholic High School and Holy Angels High School to form Lehman in 1970, and served as president of the Lehman Board of Education. He passed away in 1996 at the age of 71.

“One of Dad’s legacies is how well he connected with young people,” said daughter Ann Arbogast. “He served as a role model for youth and inspired them to participate in the greater community and to faithfully commit to the Church.”

The second inductee to the 2019 Hall of Fame is Daniel U. Dunson. Dunson was nominated by his daughter Megan Dunson Marshall (LCHS ’89) and Shelley Nerderman VanSkiver (LCHS ’86). Dunson graduated from Holy Angels Elementary but then moved to Peru, Illinois, for his high school years. He returned to Ohio to earn a Bachelor of Science in Accounting at the University of Dayton. He began his accounting career in Dayton, but relocated to Sidney to take over the family business. He owned and operated Dunson Auto Supply and Dunson Engine Rebuilders for over 30 years. He was president of the Ohio Automotive Wholesalers Association and served on the National Board of the Automotive Service Industry Association.

Dunson is a big supporter of Catholic education and he and his wife Marianne are the parents of six Lehman graduates, Mark ’82, Molly ’84, Katie ’86, Megan ’89, Matt ’93, and Anne ’93. A foster son, Hai Van Pham, graduated from LCHS in 1980, and the Dunsons also hosted two exchange students who graduated from Lehman.

Although they now live in Cincinnati, Dunson’s past community involvement included the Shelby County United Way, Wilson Hospital Board, Wilson Hospital Foundation Board, YMCA Board, and the Chamber of Commerce. He was dedicated to Holy Angels Parish, serving as a Parish Council member, lector, Eucharistic Minister, retreat presenter, and minster to the homebound. Co-Chair of the first Lehman Catholic Capital Campaign, Dunson also was part of the Lehman Foundation Board and is considered an honorary member of the LCHS Class of 1954.

“My father is a giving and humble man with strong values for service to church, school and community,” said nominator Megan Dunson Marshall. “Service and giving to others are at the core of who my father is sharing his time and treasure have always been his way of life. He believes in the enduring mission of Lehman and has significantly invested in it. His approach to life serves as a benchmark for school and community leadership.”

The third inductee to the 2019 Hall of Fame is David McBride, former Lehman tennis and girls basketball coach. McBride was nominated by his daughter Kristy McBride Sherman (LCHS ’90) and Matthew Smith (LCHS’87).

A graduate of the University of Dayton, McBride owned and operated several businesses as well as held positions at various companies throughout his working career. One business he owned was Norseman Communications in Minster. He currently owns the Country Closeout Barn in Anna. He and his wife Mary Beth are the parents of four LCHS graduates, Dennis ’81, Doug ’83, Elizabeth ’87, and Kristy ’90. Several grandchildren are also Lehman graduates.

McBride coached 21 seasons at Lehman Catholic from 1982-1989 including 15 seasons of boys and girls tennis, and six seasons of girls basketball. His teams won two Southwest Rivers Conference championships in boys tennis and one in girls tennis.

“Coach McBride is, of course, my father, but during the time I played basketball and tennis, he was more to me than just a dad,” said nominator Kristy McBride Sherman. “He was a bus driver, a sub, a ref, a friend, a support system, a bingo worker, and pretty much anything else that Lehman needed at the time.”

“What should be noted was his level of dedication and commitment to the program and to the students in the program of which I was one,” said nominator Matthew Smith. “During matches, he would strategize with each of us, alternating between telling us what he was in our opponents or our play and asking us what we saw as opportunities to win. By engaging in dialogue, he allowed us to develop the strategic thinking skills needed to exploit our opponents’ weaknesses vs. always relaying on him to tell us what to do. To this day, when I see him, I still call him ‘Coach’.”

The last inductee into the 2019 Hall of Fame is Dennis Sollmann, CFO of the Sollmann Electric Company and a current trustee of the Lehman High School Foundation. Dennis and his wife Rita are parents of three LCHS graduates, Jeramie ’92, Ryan ’94, and Chad ’97. He was nominated by Douglas Fortkamp and Kenneth Schlater.

Although a graduate of Anna High School, Sollmann has embraced the Sidney community, Holy Angels Parish and Lehman Catholic. He founded Sollmann Electric Company in 1973 and has served the community by working on various boards and campaigns for the United Way, the YMCA, Wilson Hospital, Salvation Army, West Ohio Development Council, and the Chamber of Commerce. He is a member of the Sidney-Shelby County Economic Partnership, the American Legion and other veterans’ groups, and the Knights of Columbus. His involvement at Holy Angels included Parish Council, Building Fund and the Soup Kitchen Board.

Sollmann has given many hours of service to Lehman Catholic by serving on the 21st Century Campaign, Secure the Future Campaign, Annual Fund Committee, Athletic Boosters, Development Fund, and the Foundation Board. He was also one of Lehman’s representatives on the Sidney Memorial Football Stadium Steering Committee.

“I have had the pleasure of working with Denny through the Board of Limited Jurisdiction for the past four years,” said Board Chair Douglas Fortkamp. “Every time that the Board has reached out for help, Denny has been one of the first volunteers to step forward. He has donated his time, his talents, and his treasure to Lehman in a way that most people cannot fathom. Lehman would not be what it is without him.”

For more information or to reserve tickets to the Lehman Hall of Fame Dinner, contact Stephanie Sollmann at [email protected].

Arbogast
https://www.sidneydailynews.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/47/2019/07/web1_Robert-Arbogast.jpgArbogast

McBride
https://www.sidneydailynews.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/47/2019/07/web1_David-McBride.jpgMcBride

Dunson
https://www.sidneydailynews.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/47/2019/07/web1_Daniel-U.-Dunson.jpgDunson

Sollmann
https://www.sidneydailynews.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/47/2019/07/web1_Dennis-W.-Sollmann.jpgSollmann

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