Lehman to induct 3 into Hall of Fame

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SIDNEY – After a year’s hiatus due to the pandemic, the Lehman Catholic High School Alumni Association has announced the school’s 14th annual Lehman Hall of Fame induction will be held on Saturday, Aug. 7, at the school.

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

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 coach and two alumni. The three distinguished individuals who will join the other 52 members of the Lehman Hall of Fame are the late Charles “Chuck” Asher, Col. Cole Kingseed and Thomas Westerheide.

The first inductee to the 2021 Hall of Fame is the late Charles (Chuck) Asher, teacher and football coach at Lehman Catholic from 1991-2000. Asher was nominated by Brian Stewart (LCHS 1994) and Bill Zimmerman Sr.

Asher graduated from Middletown High School in 1948 and went on to earn his degree and play football at the University of Louisville. There he had a remarkable career as a lineman, earning the nickname “Mr. Defense” as well as All-American honors. After serving in the Army during the Korean War, Asher earned a Master’s Degree at Miami University and began his coaching career at Northwestern High School in Springfield.

After a stop at Euclid High School, Asher became athletic director at Piqua City Schools and soon transitioned into the head football job. He then moved to Bellefontaine High School before finishing his career at Lehman Catholic. At Lehman, he was head football coach and taught history and physical education until retirement. During his ten-year tenure at Lehman, his teams had a 71-36 record and made four playoff appearances (1993, 1997, 1999, 2000). His biggest thrill was the 1993 second round win over St. Henry (29-0 and defending state champions).

In 41 years of coaching, Asher held an overall record of 203-111-10. He received many honors including University of Louisville Hall of Fame, Piqua Schools Athletic Hall of Fame, Southwestern Coaching Association Coach of the Year (1993), Miami Valley Coach of the Year (1997), Miami Valley Football Coaches Award for Outstanding Contributions to Football (1998) and Ohio High School Football Coaches Hall of Fame (1999). But records and awards do not tell the whole story.

In his nomination letter, Brian Stewart wrote, “Coaches make up a pretty big part of our high school career. They teach us about our sport and also life lessons like leadership, hard work, teamwork, accountability, and punctuality. These lessons stay with us for life, even after our time in the sport is over. I was lucky to have many great coaches, but Coach Asher was the one who had the biggest impact on me as a player and as a person… He was tough on the field, but gentle in the classroom. He was not only dedicated to his athletes and students, but his family as well. He was a class act.”

Asher’s assistant coach Bill Zimmerman Sr., echoed Stewart’s remarks and added, “Coach Asher represented Lehman honorably, on and off the gridiron. He gave 110% as a teacher, coach, counselor, Christian-benefactor, role model, and mentor. His legacy to Lehman Catholic cannot be measured.”

Chuck Asher passed away in 2018. He and his wife Jo Ann had two children – son Charles “Kent” Asher and daughter Amy Jo Carr. Their extended family includes grandson Brian Asher (LHS 2000) and his wife Randi and their two daughters Hattie and Eliza, and granddaughter Casey Patrick and her husband Matt and sons Bowen, Nolan and Bryce.

The second inductee to the 2021 Hall of Fame is Col. Cole C. Kingseed, Holy Angels High School Class of 1967. Kingseed was nominated by Adam J. Frantz and Kevin Register.

At Holy Angels, Kingseed was Student Council President and is proud to say that all five of his siblings are graduates of either Holy Angels or Lehman. Several years ago, he and his wife established the William B. and Marilyn Kingseed Scholarship in honor of his parents.

Kingseed received his bachelor’s degree at the University of Dayton and completed masters and Ph.D. degrees at The Ohio State University. After joining the Army, he earned a MA in National Security and Strategic Studies from the U.S. Naval War College in 1992.

A 30-year Army veteran, Kingseed was a commander at the platoon, company, and battalion levels. He served in the infantry in a variety of military assignments, culminating in his tenure as Chief of Military History at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.

Kingseed is the author of six books on military history: Eisenhower and the Suez Crisis of 1956, The American Civil War, From Omaha Beach to Dawson’s Ridge: The Combat Journal of Captain Joe Dawson, Old Glory Stories: Army Leadership in World War II, Beyond Band of Brothers: The War Memoirs of Major Dick Winters (New York Times bestseller), and Conversations with Major Dick Winters: Life Lessons from the Commander of the Band of Brothers.

After retirement from the Army, Kingseed became a founding partner and now retired president of Battlefield Leadership, LLC, a consulting firm that specializes in history-based leadership programs. He serves as a private leadership consultant and president for the Brecourt Leadership Experience Inc. Kingseed and his wife Mary are also avid supporters of Make-A-Wish, Fisher House, Ronald McDonald House, and Armed Services organizations. They have four children and live at Cornwall on Hudson, New York.

In the words of nominator Adam J. Frantz, “Col. Kingseed is an inspirational leader to all who cross his path. His work at West Point as Chief of Military History … qualifies him as a national treasure. He is a renowned scholar and an expert in combat leadership and effectiveness. He gained this distinction through countless hours interviewing, analyzing and archiving conversations with veterans from all parts of the world. By the very nature of his work, he developed friendships with many of America’s greatest military heroes.”

“Upon retiring, Col. Kingseed continued his career by developing a company that utilizes his expertise in combat leadership to train civilian leaders about the decision processes that either lead to victory or demise on the battlefields,” said Frantz.

Kevin Register, area business manager at Bayer CropScience in Troy, writes, “As a young aspiring leader at Bayer, I was asked to participate in a Gettysburg Leadership program. It was during this training opportunity that I had the pleasure to meet Cole Kingseed and my life was changed forever in a profound way. Cole Kingseed inspired me in the course of three days to look within myself and find the leader I wanted to be both professionally and personally… Over the last ten years of continually working with Cole, I have led my teams to heights others in our organization have yet to reach… Cole has made and continues to make positive impacts on the lives of countless men and women through his commitment to excellence in leadership education.”

The third inductee to the 2021 Hall of Fame is Thomas Westerheide, Holy Angels Class of 1965. Westerheide was nominated by his brother John Westerheide (Lehman 1979) and his son Jay Westerheide (Lehman 1992).

Following graduation from Holy Angels, Westerheide earned a business degree from the University of Dayton and returned to Sidney to work for his father’s Westerheide Construction and Realty Company. In 1972, he established his own company, Westerheide Developers Inc. (now Westerheide Construction Company). Throughout his career, he was very active in the community, serving on the boards of the Shelby County Homebuilders Association, Ohio Homebuilders Association, Sidney/Shelby County Chamber of Commerce, West Ohio Development Council, Edison State Foundation, and Clear Creek Farm Foundation.

Tom also served on the board of Lehman Catholic High School and was a trustee of the Lehman Foundation from 2004-2019 and president from 2012-2016. He and wife Judy are parents of three Lehman graduates: Jay Westerheide (LCHS 1992), Jill Westerheide Larger (LCHS 1995), and Jamie Westerheide (LCHS 2000).

Tom’s brother John wrote in his nomination letter, “Tom is so deserving of this honor due to his never-ending lifelong commitment to Catholic education. He brought this same commitment to the betterment of Sidney and Shelby County… He and I talk often of Lehman, and I so admire him for staying engaged in the school’s success long after his children graduated.”

“It was important to him that his children received a Catholic education,” said Tom’s son Jay. “To ensure this, he knew he would have to take an active role in supporting both Holy Angels grade school and Lehman… I have watched my father give back so that they would continue to prosper in order to be around for his children, grandchildren, and future generations.”

Tom’s daughter, Jill Larger, wrote, “Fathers teach daughters many lessons about life and what it means to be a good human and contribute to society. My father has taught me that and so much more… that hard work pays off, sacrificing for others is rewarding, service is necessary, and unconditional love is the best kind of love… He is not only a role model for me, but for the next generation, as his legacy of service is being passed on to his granddaughters.”

“If anyone embodies the Lehman spirit and commitment to the mission and values of our school, it is Tom,” said Frank Gilardi (LCHS 1976). “My experiences with Tom working on the foundation board, using his time and talents, offering professional services in kind, and giving financial support has been with a man who has a great love for Lehman. I have also done business with his company and his personal values are reflected in the way he conducts his business.”

Tickets for the Hall of Fame Induction on Aug. 7 are $35 and can be purchased by contacting Stephanie Sollmann at [email protected] or calling 937-726-3719.

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