File photo of John Frecka from Detroit-Empire Steel, 1978

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FRANK LEWIS

PDT Staff Writer

MILFORD, Ohio — A president of the former Empire-Detroit Steel plant in New Boston has died. John A. Frecka, 83, of Milford, Ohio, died July 12 at the home of his daughter. He was born in Ironton in 1929; the son of Harold Frecka, who was the blast furnace supervisor at Detroit Steel, and Margaret (Fowler).

Frecka grew up in Sciotoville, and graduated from Portsmouth East High School, before entering college. He attended Miami University and graduated from Marshall University in 1952, Frecka started working immediately as a crane follower at Detroit Steel Corporation in New Boston and later worked in the employment office. He transferred to Detroit, Michigan to pursue opportunities in employee relations at the company’s headquarters.

Frecka continued to work for the company while at the same time attending law school in the evenings at Wayne State University while raising four children with his wife, Lois Joann (Williams) who he married on Sept. 23, 1950. Frecka’s son David Frecka is the Chief Executive officer of Next Generation, Inc. at Next Generation Films, Inc. in Lexington, Ohio.

John Frecka was later promoted to general manager of the Detroit plant. He was named vice-president of the division of Empire-Detroit Steel in Mansfield, Ohio, which had been recently acquired by Cyclops Corporation, and in January of 1978 he was named president of Empire-Detroit Steel at New Boston.

A memorial ceremony will be held at Kingwood Center, 900 Park Ave W, Mansfield, Ohio, on Saturday, July 28, 2012, from 2:30 p.m. until 5 p.m. with a service and eulogy at 4 p.m. Parking fee will be waived for attendees.

Frank Lewis may be reached at 740-353-3101, ext. 232, or at flewis@heartlandpublications.com