Obituary: Jay H. Fasnacht

Jay H. Fasnacht ’55, a graduate of Messiah Junior College and a former member of the Messiah Board of Trustees, passed away in July. He was the loving husband of Marian Louise (Wolgemuth) Fasnacht ’55, also a graduate of Messiah Junior College. Together, they raised three daughters.

After completing his degree at Messiah, Fasnacht finished his education at Case Western Reserve University and embarked on a distinguished career as a certified public accountant in the Lehigh Valley and Sarasota, Florida, communities. His life could be characterized by active service to others. He was on the Messiah College Board from 1999 to 2005, and he and Marian chaired the Messiah Partner program. They also were founding sponsors of the Sarasota Friends of Messiah College annual dinner, which later supported an ongoing scholarship endowment offering tuition aid to students from the greater Sarasota area who attend Messiah. In addition, he served on boards for the Bible Fellowship Church denomination, the Lehigh Valley Industrial Development Corporation, the Lehigh Economic Advancement Project, Pinebrook Junior College and Lehigh Christian Academy. Classmate and fellow board member J. Harold Engle ’58 reflected fondly on his longtime friend, “Jay was a quiet and very thoughtful leader. He had a good sense of where things should be going and was willing to speak up when needed. He never sacrificed his values.”

Messiah College is grateful for his well-lived life, and we extend our deepest sympathies to Marian and their entire family.