WILLARD — A Pemberville man was recently recognized by his high school as a distinguished alumni.

Class of 2022 Distinguished W Award winners inducted from Willard High School included Joseph Frederick.

“I would like to thank my great teachers, my friends and my family; I am proud to be here and proud to write about my wonderful hometown in my book ‘People + Me,’” Frederick said.

Frederick is a 1962 graduate of Willard High School. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from John Carroll University (1966), Master’s Degree in Special Education from Bowling Green State University (1970), Specialist Degree (1974) and Doctor of Philosophy in Educational Administration from BGSU (1984).

As a member of several county MRDD boards between 1968-2001, Frederick has a special place in his heart for serving. He has dedicated 43 years serving with the Ohio Special Olympics and mentoring the athletes each year. His service began early as a Boy Scout, eventually earning the title of Eagle Scout.

In addition, Frederick has served his community in many different aspects including as a board or committee member, and is currently serving as the mayor of New Rochester. He has authored three different books including “People + Me” where he includes several stories of his early years in Willard. He was nominated by David Long.

To honor and recognize notable Willard graduates, the Willard Student Council, Willard FFA and the Willard Teen Leadership Corps partnered with Willard City Schools to create the Distinguished W Alumni Award, established in 2018.