Leaving a Legacy: Francis Zahn

Francis "Frank" Zahn '37 had a special place in his heart for Aquinas High School. Not only was he a member of its first generation of graduating classes, he also married one of his classmates, Dorothy (Wais '37) Zahn. Frank was a devout Catholic who valued his education and spent his entire life giving of himself to those in need.

It was no surprise that Frank had others in his heart when his time on Earth was over. Frank died in October 2011, and a year later, Aquinas Catholic Schools was blessed with a Planned Gift to set up a new scholarship. The Zahn Scholarship will begin to benefit a handful of students for the 2013-14 school year.

Frank was the only one of his five siblings to not only graduate from, but to even attend, high school growing up in La Crosse. He and his wife put their three foster daughters through Aquinas and were loyal supporters of the school long after the girls graduated. Frank worked most of his life in the sheet metal industry, but it was his love of music that brought him the most joy.

Frank played in the Navy Band while serving in World War II, and that is where he learned to truly love music. In La Crosse, he owned and played in the Buddy Frank Orchestra, spending many nights entertaining at venues across the city. Frank was also an original member of the "Grumpy Old Men," a group that visited hospitals and nursing homes.

Frank was a life-long supporter of the Catholic Church, Catholic education and Catholic healthcare in the Coulee Region. If he wasn't giving his time somewhere, he was playing the music he loved, and either way – touching lives. Thanks to Frank's Planned Gift, his caring personality will live on for many years.