Joanne Leatrice Porter Franz, age 90, passed peacefully on July 31, 2022. She was born on Sept. 15, 1931, in Buffalo, N.Y., to Helen M. Hoak and Russell William Porter.
Along with her parents, she is preceded in death by the love of her life, devoted husband of 70 years, A. Richard Franz, who passed on March 19, 2022; her sister, Maryanne Porter; in-laws, Ethel Beanard and A. Richard Franz Sr.; daughter, Sharon Leslie Marie Franz; son, William Richard (Susan) Franz; grandsons, Adam Michael Franz and Jaxon Martin McGee.
She leaves behind three blessed children, Gretchen (Jeffrey) Harmon, Russell (AnnMarie) Franz and Katrina (Steven) Franz Spring; 10 grandchildren, Amy (John) McGee, William (Emily) Franz Jr., Jessica Franz, Carrie (Jeffrey) Stann, Pamela (Jeromy) Fincher, Jordan Franz, Connor Franz, Randall (Kristen) Spring, Katelynn (Christopher) Smith and Kristina (Mark) George Jr.; 34 great-grandchildren; and 1 great-great-granddaughter; sister, Linda (Raymond) Braun; many cousins, nieces and nephews and very dear lifelong friends.
Joanne attended Amherst CSD, Class of 1949, where she met her high school sweetheart, Richard. Joanne is a graduate of Rosary Hill College. She retired in 1995 from the Batavia City School District working as a teacher aide, a position she held very dear to her heart with extreme devotion to the students she helped, guided and taught every day.
Joanne, along with her husband, Richard, were members of the Victims Assistance Program in Genesee County as together they helped many families with their grief and loss of their loved ones. Together they made their home in Darien for the past 65 years.
Joanne had the ability to connect and communicate, to educate, guide, counsel and advise. Her simple devotion, joy and love for others and steadfast beliefs were her gifts in life. Her stern and simple ways left a powerful impact that sustained all who knew her. Mom was most proud of her children, family, and the legacy both her and Dad leave behind.
Private service will be held for immediate family only.
Arrangements made by C.B. Beach & Son Mortuary, Inc., Corfu, N.Y.
Anacortes – Samuel “Sam” Frank Johnson, 77, of Anacortes, passed away July 14, 2022, at Island Hospital. Sam was born May 3, 1945, in Olmsted, Minnesota to Harvey and Maureen Johnson. He was the third oldest of six children. He grew up all over the United States: Maryland, California, Virginia, Hawaii, Massachusetts, and New York. He graduated high school in 1963, and then attended Canisius College in Buffalo, NY for undergraduate, joined the Navy, attended SUNY Buffalo for dental school, and completed his residency in Syracuse, New York. In the Navy, Sam served as a dentist attained the rank of Commander. He traveled the world and retired from the Navy in 1993. Then he opened his own dental practice, Harbor Square Dentistry, in Oak Harbor in 1994 and retired in 2021. Sam had five children: Megan, Ashley, Charity, Ani, and Lili, who were raised in Anacortes. He was a wonderful father and grandfather. Sam enjoyed boating, fishing, woodworking, dentistry, canoeing, scouting, and the outdoors. He was generous, caring, personable, and a great storyteller. He was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. He was preceded in death by his parents, Harvey and Maureen Johnson; sister Gail Johnson; nephew Tom Stolberg; and grandson Henry Biehl. Sam is survived by his five daughters; Megan Roth of Ogden, UT; Ashley (Adam) Pollock of Newbury Park, CA; Ani Johnson and Lili Johnson of Mount Vernon, WA; Charity (Kurt) Biehl of Meridian, ID; four siblings Karen (John) Celi, Martha Stolberg, Patty (Gary) Trotter, Tom Johnson, and nine grandchildren. A memorial service will be held on Saturday, August 6, 2022, at 10:00 a.m. at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Anacortes (3720 H Avenue). A burial ceremony will be performed by the US Navy at sea. Arrangements are in the care of Evans Funeral Chapel and Crematory Inc., Anacortes and the San Juan Islands. To share memories of Sam, please sign the online guest register at www.evanschapel.com
Dear Amherst Alumni and Friends of Amherst Central Schools:
It is with gratitude that we thank you for your support and participation during the Amherst High School 92nd Anniversary and All Class Reunion Celebration Weekend.
Whether you played golf, enjoyed a wonderful meal at Glen Oaks, went “Back to School: walked through the High School or around Snyder with author and historian, Julianna Fiddler-Woite, maybe you listened to …Dave & Cyn or had a treat at Sweet Melody’s or the Daily Bread Food Truck…THANK YOU!
If you rode the “Best of Buffalo” Double Decker Bus Tour with Officer O’Connor on Saturday morning, or joined us for the “Main Event” at Resurgence Saturday night, again we THANK YOU!
Amherst is a special place for all of us and we enjoyed spending the weekend with you. Please feel free to share pictures and comments to our Facebook page. Also, remember to show you appreciation to our many sponsors who helped to make the Reunion Weekend possible.
The 92nd All Class Reunion is in two weeks: Thursday, July 28 thru Saturday, July 30! We have a few updates – see below for details or visit the Amherst All Class Reunion website!
Remember to get your tickets and/or RSVP to our free events by Friday, July 15. Ticketing/RSVP links for each event can be found below.
As a reminder:
For up-to-date information on what’s new and what’s next, follow the official Alumni Facebook page:
2022 All Class Reunion Co-Chairs Whitney Manalio Creighton ‘95 & Maria Schenk ‘96, Foundation Co-Presidents Nicole Hannotte Phillips ‘77 & Marilyn Rohl ‘70, & the entire Amherst Central Alumni Foundation Board of Directors
The 90th (+2!) ALL CLASS REUNION is just around the corner! The weekend will be action packed with Amherst Tiger fun. Take a look at the schedule of events below. Please RSVP and get your tickets before July 15!
Prefer to register for the All Class Reunion by mail? Download the Registration Formhere.
Can’t attend? Consider making a donation. Your support directly strengthens, endorses and supports our mission to provide a superior educational and student experience in the Amherst Central School District. (Read all about the grants we have awarded since 2003 here!)
THURSDAY, JULY 28, 2022
Annual Golf Classic at Glen Oak Golf Course 11 Smith Road, East Amherst, NY 14051
Prefer to register for the Golf Classic by mail? Download the Registration Form here.
FRIDAY, JULY 29, 2022
Back-to-School Event at Amherst Central High School! 4301 Main Street, Amherst, NY 14226
1:30pm – 3:00pm Walking Tour of Snyder, NY Meet Snyder historian, Julianna Woite, at the ACHS flag pole at 1:30pm for a walk through history. Compare the Snyder landscape of yesteryear to the present and learn about the people and places that made Snyder what it is today!
TICKETS: SOLD OUT!
3:00pm – 7:00pm Back-to-School Open to the entire Amherst Central Schools community, this family-friendly event will feature tours of the newly renovated high school, Daily Bread & Sweet Melody’s food trucks, music by Dave-N-Cyn of Busted Stuff, activities, and more!
Each ACHS Class can use this time to connect at a venue of choice. For a full list of class reunions in 2022, please visit the Reunions page of the Alumni Foundation website!
SATURDAY, JULY 30, 2022
10:00am – 1:00pm “Best of Buffalo” Double Decker Bus Tour
We will meet at Amherst Central High School and take a 3-hour historic, educational and humorous guided bus tour through downtown Buffalo which will include stops at ACHS Alumni owned Winkler & Samuels and Buffalo Brewing Company.
About the “Best of Buffalo” Tour:
Your guide is Officer O’Connor, an Irish cop from 1860 who brings to life all the hidden stories of the Queen City. Once aboard the bus, we’ll explore:
How Buffalo Got its Name
Plight of the Irish Grain Scoopers
Pirates and Portuguese Fisherman of Buffalo’s Secret Beach Community
How Booze and a Buffalo Dentist Helped Create the Electric Chair
The Triple Hanging at City Hall
The Naval Park and America’s Most Famous Photo
Canalside
Seating is limited. Light snacks & refreshments are included!
TICKETS: SOLD OUT!
6:00pm – 10:00pm An Evening of Celebration: Music, Dinner & Drinks at Resurgence Brewing Company 55 Chicago Street, Buffalo, NY 14204
Meet & mingle with your classmates as we celebrate 92 years of Amherst Central High School in a unique setting – a favorite hometown brewery! The event space at Resurgence allows you to experience their state-of-the-art brewing process up close.
The evening will feature music by Russ Burton Entertainment who will be spinning your favorite classics while you enjoy appetizers, food stations, sweet treats, cocktails & conversation long into the night. Share stories as you view a decade-by-decade slideshow of Amherst High School memories and toast to 92 years of orange & black spirit. Go Tigers!
With all hotels, please mention “Amherst High School All Class Reunion.” If you encounter difficulty with any property regarding making a reservation, please contact Clay Pasternack at 440.655.6180 or claypasternack@gmail.com
As part of the Amherst Central Alumni Foundation’s (ACAF) grant program, we help fund various initiatives throughout the school district. One of the initiatives funded was a Classroom Library for second graders at Windermere Boulevard Elementary School.
From teacher Hillary Asbeck-Wade in her grant submission, “Our second grade classroom is composed of special education students, English language learners, and general education students. We hope to make a more accessible library space that will better service the diverse learners in our classroom. We hope to better showcase books with diverse characters at a wider range of reading levels in our new library space. This will allow our students to access appropriate texts with ease, enriching their reading experience.”
The ACAF will periodically receive thank yous for our grants. Ms. Asbeck-Wade sent is a nice thank you note along with drawings from the students of them reading books. You can view the note and the drawings by her class by clicking here.
Through the generous support of Amherst Alumni, you helped make this happen.
Tiger Tracks 