Feed & Grain is saddened to report the passing of John Foltz Sr., former executive director of the Ohio Grain, Feed and Fertilizer Association. John will be deeply missed.
John Charles Foltz, 87, passed on January 7 at Friendship Village of Dublin, Ohio, from complications of COVID-19, with his family at his side. He was born in West Lafayette, OH, on February 23, 1933.
Foltz retired as deputy undersecretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture and agency administrator. A graduate of The Ohio State University, he also served in positions with the Ohio Department of Agriculture and as the first executive of the Ohio Agribusiness Association. He also held several federally appointed positions in the agriculture field.
He was on the USDA Extension and Research Advisory board, council chair for the OARDC Advisory board and president of the Ohio Agricultural Council. He served as chair of the President's Alumni Advisory Board for OSU. For three terms he was on the High Council of the Fraternity of Alpha Zeta, then went on to become the first President of the National Alpha Zeta Foundation. He most recently served as an ex-officio member of the Farmhouse Foundation Board of Trustees.
He was a recipient of the Distinguished Service to Agriculture award from the Ohio Farm Bureau Federation, Distinguished Alumni Award from the College of FAES and the Alpha Tau Zeta Alumni Association Distinguished Service award.
Foltz's agriculture commitment also extended to youth education. He held a number of volunteer leadership roles with the Boy Scouts of America, FFA and 4-H. Foltz and his wife Anne successfully led the $15.5 million campaign to construct the 4-H Center at The Ohio State University, the first "green" building on campus.
His parents were Ralph Monroe Foltz and Mary Ruth Karr – known as RM and Ruth. He is survived by his beloved wife, Anne Clark, formerly of Rio Grande. They were married June 24, 1956. He is survived by two children: son, Dr. John Clark Foltz (Barbara) and their children, John Richard (Jessica) and James Clark (Michelle); and daughter Dr. Mary Elizabeth Arensberg (Bradley), and their children, Mark and Sarah, and 4 greatgrandchildren. He was preceeded in death by his older brother
Ralph R. Foltz (Betty). He was preceeded in death by his older brother Ralph R. Foltz (Betty).
Due to COVID19, a memorial service will be held at Friendship Village at a future date. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be given to: the Foltz Family Fund scholarship at the Ohio State University; The Farm Foundation; or FarmHouseFraternity Foundation; or The Ohio 4H Foundation.
Click here to read more of Foltz's bio.
