John Leroy Plank Jr.

May 3, 1942 - February 18, 2017

Lee passed away on February 18th after a heroic fight against cancer.

He was a graduate of Haverford High School and Temple University in the Philadelphia area. As a young man Lee voluntarily gave up his sports and high school activities in order to work nights in a steel warehouse to help support his mother and younger brother. It was a clear window into the kind of man he would always be, and the steel industry would become his calling. After college he worked for Ryerson Steel and was recruited by National Perforating in Clinton Massachusetts to manage and direct their two factories in Massachusetts and Sparrows Point, Maryland. The family lived in Lunenburg, MA where Lee was a very active member of the community for 15 years. In 1990 he was approached by Diamond Manufacturing in Wyoming, Pennsylvania and became Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President of the largest steel perforating company in North America. He retired from Diamond in 2006.

As a youth Lee was a proud member of the Boy Scouts, where he achieved the rank of Eagle Scout and was honored as a member of The Order Of The Arrow the Boy Scout honorary society. He twice served as President of The Industrial Perforators Association and served on the Board for several years. He wrote several technical papers for them and upon his retirement he was made a lifetime member. Lee also served on the board of the World Perforating Conference. He served as President of the Burnt Store Republican Club and Palmetto Pines Golf Club. Being a proud American he researched his family tree back past the American Revolution and was accepted as an Associate of The Order Of Founders and Patriots of America. He was a wonderful husband, fiancé, father, grandfather and friend, and is remembered by all who knew him as a caring and loyal man with a great sense of humor and an intellect and curiosity that helped him excel in business. He is survived by his family and loved ones: his fiancée Barbara Mueller, his daughter Christina Plank, and his son John Lee Plank, III and his wife Lesley Murray Plank, and his grandchildren Jacob and Evan Plank, his brother Gregory Plank and his life long friend and step-brother, Peter Jacoby. He was predeceased by his wife of 42 years, Donna Lane Plank, and his grandson, Connor Plank.

A memorial service will be held on Tuesday, February 28th at 11:00 AM

at the Burnt Store Golf and Activity Club, 24315 Vincent Avenue, Punta Gorda, Florida 33955

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to:

The Luzerne Foundation, Luzerne, PA

http://luzfdn.org/how-to-donate

570-714-1570

or

The Flamekeepers, Burnt Store Marina, Punta Gorda, Florida

http://www.bsgac.org/information/flamekeeper/flamekeepers.htm

941-639-4151