Editor’s note – We are rerunning this story, as the Lisbon Alumni Association will be hosting hall of fame honors this weekend at the Lisbon Homecoming ceremony. This ran in the Oct. 8, 2020 newspaper.
In late 2019, the Lisbon Alumni Association was approached with an idea to re-start the inactive Lisbon Schools Hall of Fame. While the original Hall of Fame featured athletics, it was decided that the “new” Hall of Fame would honor both alumni and faculty for contributions to Lisbon Schools and to the Community of Lisbon. Six inductees are being recognized across five established categories.
LHS SERVICE AWARD – Given to alumni for specific and meritorious service to any not-for-profit organization or military service.
David Prasil, LHS Class of 1971, is a 2020 Inductee. Praisl has served on the Lisbon Community School Board for 35 years, beginning in 1984, with one year off. During that time, David has served multiple years as board president, including this year.
In addition to his service to Lisbon school, Prasil served in the National Guard for 35½ years. He served as Command Sergeant Major his final seven years of duty, retiring in 2007.
LHS FINE ARTS AWARD– Given to alumni with exceptional accomplishments in the fine arts while attending Lisbon High School.
John Feldman, Class of 2001, is a 2020 Inductee. Feldman was very active in speech and band, including receiving multiple district, state and All-State awards. Those awards included qualifying for the state speech contest in two individual events all four years. That was the first time that had happened in any class size in the State of Iowa. Feldman played tenor saxophone as well and was recognized as All-State second chair his senior year. Feldman received a full ride scholarship to Cornell College, where he was a music major. He worked as a store manager for West Music Company for a number of years.
LHS ACHIEVEMENT AWARD – Given to alumni or faculty who have earned recognition for their achievements and contributions in their professional life. Demonstrates a high level of achievement in their field and makes significant contributions in that field.
Bob Bunting is a 2020 Inductee. Bunting served at Lisbon as a high school math teacher for 41 years and as athletics director for 30 years, retiring in 2007, as well as a coach in various sports. Bunting taught and has coached several second generation students and athletes. During his tenure, Bob coached a number of high school sports including girls’ basketball, boys’ basketball, boy’s baseball, girls’ golf and, most notably, girls’ softball.
Bunting just completed his 51st year of coaching high school girls’ softball, all of which have been at Lisbon, ending the season with his team’s ninth trip to the state tournament in Fort Dodge, where the Lions finished fourth in Class 1A. Under Bunting’s leadership, Lisbon won the State 1A Championship in 1994, 1995 and 1996 and more recently placed third in 2018 and 2019. His overall softball record stands at 1217-637 following the shortened 2020 schedule. Bunting has been honored with numerous Coach of the Year Awards at the conference, state and national levels. He is a member of the National High School Athletic Coaches Hall of Fame in 2016.
LHS COMMUNITY IMPACT AWARD – Given to alumni who should be recognized for their service contributions to the Lisbon community in any capacity and service for any reason.
Marion Louise Pike, Class of 1949, is a 2020 Inductee. Pike started assisting her mother, Francis Reed Slater, with Lisbon Alumni Association work during her high school senior year. Shortly after graduation, Pike embarked on a lifelong tenure of service to the Lisbon Alumni Association, eventually serving as secretary from 1960 (and possibly sooner) until her retirement from the position at the 2015 Alumni Banquet.
“Our Alumni Association owes a great debt of gratitude and appreciation to Marion Louise for her dedication,” Lisbon Alumni Association board member Jeff Bohr said.
Pike’s work includes maintaining the master contact list and sending out invitations to the annual Alumni Banquet every year — as well as her guidance and determination in keeping the Lisbon Alumni Association thriving over her more than 60 years of service, he said. Her family is one of a select few that include five generations of LHS graduates.
In addition, Marion Louise started her career with the U.S. Post Office in Lisbon as a part-time clerk in 1960. She rose through the ranks to become Assistant Postmaster then Postmaster, a position she held for 19 years until her retirement in 1995. Back then, Marion Louise knew pretty much every family in the 52253 zip code; in many cases knowing two and three generations. She always went the extra mile to make sure every piece of mail addressed to an individual within the Lisbon zip code, but not with a street address, got delivered to the right person. This sometimes meant calling the family’s patriarch to identify which grandchild’s parent’s address the mail should be sent to.
Her son Loren Pike accepted the award at the induction ceremony
LHS ATHLETICS AWARD– Given to alumni with exceptional accomplishments in athletics while attending LHS.
Paige Stamp Telecky, Class of 1996, is a 2020 Inductee. Telecky led the Lions Softball team to the State Tournament for four years as a pitcher. That tournament run included qualifying in 1993 when it was still a one class system. Beginning in 1994, the Iowa Girls Athletic Association established a class system by school size. Behind Telecky’s outstanding pitching and great defense behind her, Lisbon went on to become the inaugural Class 1A State Champions in 1994, 1995 and 1996. During her high school career, Telecky was recognized and honored at the conference, district, state and national levels. She was the Iowa Girls’ Softball Player of the Year and national Fast Pitch All American in 1995 and 1996 .
Telecky set national records for season strikeouts with 529 and career strikeouts with 1,703.
Dan DeYoung, Class of 1994, is a 2020 Inductee. DeYoung excelled in cross country, basketball, track and baseball, participating in state tournaments in cross country, track and baseball. DeYoung was recognized and honored at the conference, district and state levels. He helped lead the Lisbon baseball team to the state tournament in 1993 and 1994 as a pitcher and shortstop. The Lions won the state tournament in 1994, with DeYoung being named the Class 1A Baseball Player of the Year. He was also recognized as Conference Player of the Year in Baseball in 1994 and was one of five Gazette Area Athletes of the Year in 1994. That year, three of the final five Gazette nominees were LHS student athletes.
DeYoung was drafted by the New York Yankees after high school, but elected to attend the University of Mississippi on a baseball scholarship. He was drafted by the Texas Rangers after three years at Ole Miss. DeYoung is now an assistant principal in Katy, Texas, but continues to be active in baseball by coaching a 14U select team and by giving pitching lessons.
Lisbon Alumni Associations announces 2020 inductees
September 16, 2021