Article published November 20, 2009 HARRY L. LINGO, JR., 1925-2009 WW II vet was builder, loved travel
Harry L. Lingo, Jr., 84, a retired DuPont supervisor and a co-owner of a building and remodeling firm, died Wednesday in Windhaven Eldercare Center, Temperance, where he lived about three years.
The cause of death was not known. Family members said that Mr. Lingo, formerly of West Toledo, had suffered many transient ischemic attacks, often called "ministrokes."
In October, 2008, Mr. Lingo was awarded a high school diploma from the Sylvania City Schools. He enlisted in the Navy during World War II and was unable to complete his studies at the former Burnham High School in Sylvania.
In festive surroundings, Mr. Lingo donned a mortarboard for the occasion in the eldercare center as board of education president Dave Spiess made the presentation.
"That really was one of the most significant things of the last several years," his son-in-law, Joe Giannetti, said. "It was a wonderful, wonderful ceremony. It was moving."
The event, more than 60 years after Mr. Lingo would have graduated, was the brainchild of his daughter Lorrie Giannetti, who retired in June, 2008, from the Washington Local Schools as computer lab manager. Over a 35-year career, she also taught special education and language arts.
"Education was very important to him" Mr. Giannetti said. "He influenced Lorrie to become a teacher."
His daughter worked with Nancy Crandell, the district's spokesman, and Superintendent Brad Rieger to arrange the ceremony.
Mr. Lingo had two nearly simultaneous careers. He worked at E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Co. in Toledo for years, mostly as a supervisor in the Teflon coatings area. He retired in the early 1980s.
For close to 40 years, he worked for what is now Wesson Builders, founded by John Wesson, who built garages but later sold and installed garage doors and did home remodeling.
"He would go out and do job estimates and draw the plans up and coordinate the building of the garage or whatever they were doing," Mr. Giannetti said.
Mr. Wesson eventually sold the business to Mr. Lingo and several other employees. When Mr. Lingo retired from DuPont, he worked full time at Wesson. "He took a great deal of pride in what he did," Mr. Giannetti said. "He was an employee at DuPont, but he was an owner at Wesson's."
He sold his interest in the early 1990s. Still, when he learned in April, 2008, that the Home Builders Association of Greater Toledo named Wesson Builders remodeler of the year, "Harry was very happy."
"His work ethic was No. 1," Mr. Giannetti said.
Mr. Lingo was an inveterate purchaser of cars and over the years had owned two boats and five recreational vehicles. His wife once said that he had so many vehicles over the years, "she never knew what car would be in the garage when she opened the door," Mr. Giannetti said.
With Mr. Lingo in the RV driver's seat, he took the family - wife, children, grandchildren - on vacations around the United States until about 13 years ago.
"He loved having the family sitting around the campfire at a campsite on Lake Michigan or at Niagara Falls or wherever we were," Mr. Giannetti said. "It was a really special time."
Born July 13, 1925, he was the son of Mildred and Harry Lingo and grew up in Sylvania. During Navy service in World War II, he was aboard ships in the Pacific and the Mediterranean.
He attended reunions of his shipmates in Norfolk, Va., and New Orleans.
Surviving are his wife, Anne, whom he married in 1947; daughters, Lorrie Giannetti, Nancy Smith, and Amy Lingo; son, Tom Lingo; brother, Richard Lingo; sister Peggy Busch, and five grandchildren.
A veteran's service will be at 7 tonight in the Newcomer Funeral Home, Toledo, where the body will be after 3 p.m. today.
The family suggests tributes to Hospice of Northwest Ohio. Permanent LinkWW II vet was builder, loved travelhttp://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20091120/NEWS13/911200489/-1/NEWS01STORY:2009911200489
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