Wilbur Franklin Lantz

June 29, 1930 - December 16, 2022

Wilbur Franklin Lantz died of natural causes on Friday, December 16, 2022 at Lancaster Mennonite Home. Born near Hagerstown, MD on June 29, 1930, he was the son of the late Charles and Mary Lantz. He was married to the late June Ellen (Lykens) Lantz for 64 years before her passing in 2019.

He is survived by his daughter, Annmarie Lantz Gover of Denver, NC, and a son, Timothy Paul Lantz (Donna) of Harrisburg. Also surviving are four grandchildren, John (Colleen) Gover and Andrew (Sarah) Gover, and Cameron Lantz and Paige Lantz. Rev. Lantz is also survived by great granddaughter, Madison Gover, and his sister, Thelma Koontz of Waynesboro, PA.

W. “Frank” was a graduate of Lebanon Valley College, 1957, and United Theological Seminary, Dayton, OH, 1960, with a Master of Divinity Degree.

Frank served in the United States Air Force from 1950 to 1953, and was honorably discharged in 1953. He attended Lebanon Valley College on the GI bill, where he met his loving wife, June. Following graduation from Lebanon Valley College and then United Theological Seminary, he was ordained a Minister on Oct. 5, 1960, in Grace EUB Church in Hagerstown, MD. He then served three congregations as Pastor in Mont Alto, Lemoyne, and Frackville.

He left the full time ministry to become Assistant Administrator of Brethren Village at Neffsville, PA in 1969. For 14 years he served at Brethren Village as Administrator, then Vice President of Public Relations and Development, before he became the Administrator of the United Church of Christ (UCC) Homestead Village on Marietta Pike in Lancaster. At UCC Homestead Village, he served for 2 years during the start-up, marketing, and early construction of that facility. In 1986, he was appointed the Executive Director of Christian Concern, Inc., in Norristown, PA where he developed and managed five Senior Housing and Nursing facilities.

In 1992, he was honored as Executive of the Year, by the Council of Health and Human Service Ministries of the United Church of Christ, for his “unusual contribution to health and healing through compassionate service, his buoyant spirit and the Constancy of his perspective of the Christian purpose, to which he dedicated his life!”

In addition to his 3 Pastorates, Frank served five Interim or Supply Pastorates in the Penn Central Conference of the United Church of Christ (UCC). Interim Churches served were: St. Paul’s in Red Run, PA; St Luke’s in Lititz, PA; Jerusalem in Penryn, PA; St. Stephen’s UCC in Reading, PA; and Trinity UCC in York, PA. Rev. Lantz also served as interim pastor at Immanuel in Kissimmee, FL; First UCC in Orlando, FL: and Trinity UCC in Winter Haven, FL.

Funeral Services will be held on Tuesday, December 27, 2022 at 10:30AM at Trinity UCC, 2340 State St, East Petersburg, PA 17520 with the Rev. Dr. Christopher Rankin officiating. Family and friends will be received from 9:30-10:30AM at the church on Tuesday. Interment will be held in Indiantown Gap National Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Hospice and Community Care, 685 Good Drive, Lancaster PA 17604.