Leo Philip Schank, Sr.

Leo Philip Schank, Sr., 88, of Fremont, passed away on June 3, 2021, after a courageous 28-year battle with Parkinson's Disease. He was born the son of Henry and Elizabeth (Klause) Schank on December 30, 1932, in Fekeic, Yugoslavia. Leo had a hard life growing up following WWII resulting in endless incredible stories. Along with his mother, grandmother and sister, Leo was imprisoned in a POW camp following the capture of their land by the Russians towards the end of the war. He was there from the age of 13 and escaped to Austria with his family when he was 15 years old. He attended a trade school for architecture in Austria but later left to become a citizen of the United States in the 1950s. Shortly thereafter he was drafted into the Army during the Korean conflict where he utilized his knowledge of German Tiger Tanks and the German language to train fellow soldiers at Fort Knox. He was honorably discharged on December 8, 1955. On September 19, 1953, he married Mary Rutherford and she preceded him in death on November 15, 2015.

Leo was a skilled architect and contractor and very proud of his accomplishments. He was the founder and owner of his contracting company, Leo Schank Builders, and was the Governor and mastermind behind the construction of the Fremont Moose. Leo was also a member of the VFW.

Left to cherish is memory are his children; Leo (Patty) Jr., Thomas (Kimberly) Schank, Nancy (Mark) Crispen, all of Fremont, Pam (John) Weller of Kansas, OH, Karen Schank of Fremont, 8 grandchildren, 16 great-grandchildren and 3 great-great grandchildren. In addition to his parents and wife, Mary Schank, he was preceded in death by his sister.

Visitation will be held Tuesday, June 8, 2021, from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at Herman-Karlovetz Funeral Home & Crematory, 900 North Street, Fremont, OH, 43420. Funeral services will begin at 12:00 p.m. at the funeral home. Rev. Henry Seibert will officiate. Burial with military honors will follow at Greenlawn Memory Gardens in Clyde. For those unable to attend, services will be livestreamed on the funeral home's main page under the live webcasts tab.

In lieu of flowers memorial donations may be made to the family to assist with his funeral c/o his daughter, Nancy Crispen.

To express online condolences or view Leo's Tribute Video and services please visit www.hermanfh.com.