Frank and Dona Lofy have endowed a $23,000 scholarship as a tribute to St. Mary’s School in honor of their children, Paul, Peter, Mary and Patrick Lofy.
Their intent is to forever support a $1,000 scholarship each year for a Platteville High School graduate. Applicants must be alumni of the former St. Mary’s School in Platteville, or provide confirmation that they are practicing Catholics who plan to attend UW-Platteville with the intent to study Electrical Engineering, Chemistry or Education.
“Dona and I wanted to continue supporting education in Platteville, and since St. Mary’s School was no longer an option, we decided to set up this endowment to support Platteville’s high school graduates who have attended St. Mary’s School,” said Frank. “We selected the PHS Scholarship Fund to administer our endowed scholarship fund because we liked the flexibility of the selection criteria. We also liked the minimum investment to achieve a reasonable ‘perpetual’ annual award.”
“All four of our children are St. Mary’s School, Platteville High School and UW–Platteville graduates,” said Dona. “They received individual attention and excellent education at these institutions.”
Frank Lofy worked 42 years in education, 12 years at Milwaukee School of Engineering and 30 years at UW–Platteville. At UWP, Lofy was as Professor of Electrical Engineering and Director of the Computer Center & Institutional Research from 1970 to 1984. He was also very active in the community, serving in many different roles including Common Council president.
Lofy is a fourth-degree member of the Knights of Columbus. He has been active in the Boy Scouts of America since 1970. He has been UWP Professor Emeritus of Electrical Engineering since his retirement in 1995.
Dona Lofy spent many years doing volunteer work. She worked with hospice for nearly 25 years and was a volunteer driver for Grant County for 20 years. For more than 15 years, she served Mass on a weekly basis to nursing home patients.
The Lofys have four children. Paul (PHS ’82) owns Plum Gate Resort and a bait shop and wood pellet stove store, Up North Traders, in Sayner. He is married to Meadow and has two sons, Nathan and Nicholas. Peter (PHS ’85) is an Army lieutenant colonel assigned to the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) in Colorado Springs, Colo. He is married to Jolene and has three children, Scott, Lauren and Maxwell. Mary (PHS ’87) is director of instruction for the public schools in Sheboygan Falls. Patrick (PHS ’87) is with the federal government’s Defense Terrorist Reduction Agency in Alexandria, Va.
Like so many in Platteville, Frank and Dona Lofy want St. Mary’s School to be always remembered. It provided their children and others with many opportunities and an excellent education. They have named their endowed family scholarship the “Frank and Dona Lofy Tribute to St. Mary’s School Scholarship Fund in Honor of Peter, Paul, Mary and Patrick.”
The PHS Scholarship Fund has also established a “Tribute to St. Mary’s Endowed Scholarship Fund” and welcomes contributions from anyone.
The PHS Scholarship Fund’s mission is to expand access to higher education for the students of the Platteville School District. The fund fulfills this mission primarily be providing higher education scholarships for Platteville graduates to help them further their post-high school education.
