Albert A. & Frances M. Kerzic Memorial Fund
The Albert A. & Frances M. Kerzic Memorial Fund, established in 2015 by Lynda Given Lessek and Peter V. Lessek, supports education, recreation, historic preservation, beautification, and economic development in Davis, West Virginia, in honor of the Kerzic, Mamish, and Sluger families.
TYPE OF FUND: Donor Advised
DATE ESTABLISHED: August 2015
PURPOSE: To promote education, recreation, historic preservation, beautification, and economic development for Davis, West Virginia, per the recommendation of the donors.
DISTRIBUTION: On the recommendation of the donors and final approval by the Grants Committee and Board of Directors of TCF.
VARIANCE POWER: If, in the judgment of the TCF Board of Directors, the restrictions and conditions of the fund become unnecessary, incapable of fulfillment, or inconsistent with the charitable needs of the community, the TCF Board of Directors maintains the right to modify the terms of this fund.
FUNDING: Initial funding by Lynda Given Lessek and Peter V. Lessek.
BACKGROUND: Albert “Beanie” Kerzic and Frances Mamish Kerzic were raised in Davis, West Virginia, and although they eventually settled in the suburbs of Cleveland, Ohio, they always considered Davis their home.
Albert was born on April 12, 1922, in Forest City, Pennsylvania, one of three sons of John Kerzic and Jenny Mazi Kerzic. Raised by the Sluger family, he excelled at baseball and was scouted as a pitcher by Whitey Ford, earning a tryout for Major League Baseball in Pittsburgh. However, after graduating from Davis High School, he joined the U.S. Army, rose to the rank of corporal, and survived the bombing of Pearl Harbor. He later attended two years of college in Bowling Green, Kentucky, on the GI Bill.
Frances was born on December 30, 1915, to Frank Mamish, a coal miner, and Frances Mamish. She was one of six daughters raised in a four-bedroom home on Henry Avenue in Davis. After graduating from Davis High School and Fairmont Teachers College, she taught in one-room schoolhouses in Tucker County during the Great Depression.
Albert and Frances were married in Davis on August 28, 1948. In search of work, they moved to Cleveland, Ohio, where Albert worked in sales and as an office clerk in the scrap iron and steel business, while Frances was a homemaker and teacher. They had one daughter, Lynda Given Lessek, and one grandchild, Byron Kendall Given. Albert passed away on May 26, 1994, and Frances on September 14, 2006.
Lynda and her husband, Peter V. Lessek, now reside in Wheaton, Illinois. Peter was formerly an executive in the telecommunications industry, while Lynda has practiced law for over 35 years with Chapman and Cutler in Chicago, Illinois. She cherishes childhood memories of annual trips to Davis to visit her grandparents, Mom and Pop Mamish and Pawpaw Kerzic. Lynda and Peter established this memorial fund to honor the legacy of Lynda’s parents and the hardworking Kerzic, Mamish, and Sluger families, ensuring continued support for the Davis community.
