Richard Gene Frantz, 86, of North Manchester, Indiana, died at 2:12 am, Tuesday, June 13, 2017 at his home. He was born March 27, 1931 in North Manchester, to Oakley Paul and Marie Aileen (Pottenger) Frantz.
Dick was a 1948 graduate of Chester High School, where he played on the basketball team that went undefeated until the Sweet 16 in the Indiana State Tournament, and received his Bachelors degree from Manchester College in 1956. He served in the US Air Force during the Korean Conflict. He married Nancy Jean Bender at the Wabash First United Methodist Church on June 9, 1951. He co-owned and operated Frantz Lumber Co. in North Manchester 39 years, retiring in 1994. Dick was a former president of the North Manchester Rotary Club and Manchester Chamber of Commerce, served on the board of directors at Indiana Lawrence Bank, serving as chairman for 12 years, the Middlebury, Indiana Church Furniture Company, and Wetzel Insurance Company of North Manchester. Dick was an avid reader and golfer.
He is survived by his wife, Nancy Jean Frantz of North Manchester, three daughters, Paula Ion (Greg) Garner and Leslie Kay Frantz, both of Wabash, and Susan Marie Spackman of Asheville, North Carolina, four grandchildren, Erica (Ethan) Bigham of Houston, Texas, Nicholas Garner of Wabash, Alexandra di Buono of San Francisco, California, and Carolyn Ashley di Buono of Indianapolis, Indiana, brother, Donald Frantz of Lake Tippecanoe, Indiana, and sister, Nancy Nicholson of Spearman, Texas. He was preceded in death by his parents, and sister, Joann Hurley.
Family will receive friends from 4-7 pm Monday, June 19, 2017 at Timbercrest Chapel, 2201 East Street, North Manchester, Indiana. Private inurnment services will be in Oaklawn Cemetery in North Manchester. Arrangements by Grandstaff-Hentgen Bender Chapel, North Manchester.
Preferred memorial is Timbercrest Senior Living Community.