Friesner, Bob and Joyce Memorial Scholarship Fund

Donor Fund Story:

Bob and Joyce Friesner served as mentors to many young people in Noble County and whose lives impacted hundreds of others. Both Bob and Joyce were teachers who inspired students and they were dedicated to their success.

Bob was born in Middlepoint and had five brothers, Ohio and graduated from Van Del High School. While in high school, Robert played both basketball and baseball. He attended Findlay College and received a teaching degree which led him to West Noble High School. Joyce was born in Maryland to a family of six but moved several times before landing in Van Wert, Ohio. She graduated from Van Wert High School and completed her Bachelor’s degree at Goshen College and received her Master’s degree from the University of St. Francis in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

Bob and Joyce were married in November 1958. Together, they raised three daughters: Sherry, Deb, and Kate. Joyce was able to balance motherhood with college to receive her teaching degrees. Their family grew to include son-in-laws and four grandchildren who they loved dearly. They loved spending time with their grandchildren and taught them candy-making, Uno, fishing, and how to read.

Both Bob and Joyce taught at West Noble Schools. Bob’s years in the classroom teaching U.S. History gave him much joy, and he did a great job keeping students’ attention. However, those less attentive students were brought back to his history world with a flying eraser. He was instrumental in establishing West Noble’s outstanding cross country program, “The Long Blue Line” which saw both individual and teams compete at the state level. He also coached wrestling, track, and taught Driver’s Ed. He then retired in 1999 after 39 years of teaching.

Joyce taught many grade levels including kindergarten, fourth, sixth, seventh and eighth grade. Joyce’s firm but gentle, manner touched the lives of hundreds of students over the years. In her words “They were all a joy to teach, and I learned much from the students.” Joyce continued to be a “learner” all her life. She taught for 31 years and retired in 1999. Both she and Bob continued to remain close to many faculty friends after their retirement.

Bob and Joyce loved their students as family. They encouraged their students and athletes to hold themselves to a high expectation. Together, Bob and Joyce left a lasting impact on hundreds of West Noble students, and encouraged all to imagine the best for themselves. This scholarship fund was created to further their legacy of mentorship and high expectation in both the classroom and on the sports field.