Leon L. Nonemaker

Leon L. Nonemaker
Leon L. Nonemaker, 86, of Bethlehem, passed away on Sunday, January 16, 2011, at Kirkland Village, Bethlehem. He was the loving husband of Jean L. (Fegley) Nonemaker, his high school sweet-heart, with whom he shared over 65 years of marriage. Born in Reading, he was the son of the late George L. and Ida (Weinhold) Nonemaker. Leon L Nonemaker retired 1 Apr 1988 as Senior Vice-President of PPL, where he had been employed for 40 years, following graduation from Lehigh University summa cum laude with a degree in Electrical Engineering. Lee advanced through various positions in PPLs engineering, union relations and personnel departments and was named Salary Administrator in 1962. Lee was appointed Operating Manager in 1964 of the PPL Lehigh Division and then promoted to Vice-President Lehigh Division in 1969. He subsequently served as Marketing Vice-President and Vice-President of Consumer and Community Affairs, prior to being named the Company Senior Vice-President. Lee was the Past Chairman of the PA Electric Association, a statewide association of electric utilities, was a former Director of the Electric Utility Marketing Executives Conference and is past Chairman of the PA Economy League. In addition to his business and technical activities, Lee Nonemaker was deeply involved in numerous educational and community activities, having served as Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Muhlenberg Hospital Center, Chairman of WLVT Public Television Station, President of BSA Minsi Trails Council and Vice-President of both the PA Area and Regional Board of Boy Scouts of America. He formerly served as a School Director, a Director of First Valley Bank and First Valley Corporation, the Bethlehem Area Chamber of Commerce, Lehigh Valley Industrial Park, Director of the Bethlehem Club, General Campaign Chairman and Director of the Greater Bethlehem Area United Way, and President of Wiley House, a residential treatment center for emotionally disturbed youth. He served as Trustee and Elder in the Moravian Church where he was a Sunday School Teacher and Superintendent. Lee was a graduate of Reading High School. As an undergraduate of Lehigh University, Lee was a trumpet-player of the Lehigh Marching 97 Band and of the top honorary fraternities: Tau Beta Pi (all engineering), Eta Kappa Nu (electrical engineering) and Pi Mu Epsilon (mathematics). After enrolling at Lehigh, Lee served his country during World War II, starting as a Private and ending his Army Service as a Lieutenant. Lee then graduated second in his electrical engineering class at Lehigh University in 1948. After graduation, he had maintained strong ties with Lehigh. He was a Past-President of his Class of 1948, Past-President of the Allentown Alumni Club, was Chairman of the Alumni-Student Relations Committee and chaired his reunion fund which raised over $5,000,000 for Lehigh University. Lee was the recipient of Lehigh Universitys Outstanding Alumni Award. One of Lees most active community participation was in serving Boy Scouts of America in many capacities, starting with the position of Scoutmaster in Troop 64 in Coopersburg and Troop 10 in Bethlehem as Scoutmaster for both of his sons troops. Lee held many positions within BSA Minsi Trails Council including Camping Committee, Chairman of the Activities Committee, Vice-President of District Operations, Vice-President of Administration, Council Commissioner and ultimately as BSA Minsi Trails Council President. He also enjoyed serving on the staff of three National Jamborees and earned his Woodbadge Training. For his remarkable service to Boy Scouts of America, Lee is the recipient of some of the highest honors in Scouting: Silver Beaver, Silver Antelope and was named as Distinguished Citizen of the Year in 1989. Survivors: Lee and Jean have three children, Randall C. Nonemaker (spouse Michelle Nonemaker) of Elkton, Maryland, Marsha Venanzi (spouse Michael Venanzi, Sr.), of Bethlehem, PA and Philip B. Nonemaker (spouse Joanne Nonemaker) of Schnecksville, PA; Lee has five grandchildren, Jessica Long (spouse Ryan Long), Michael Venanzi, Jr. (spouse Danielle Venanzi), Paul Nonemaker, Katherine Nonemaker and Elizabeth Nonemaker as well as two great-granddaughters, Sydney Long and Riley Long. Services: A Memorial Service will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, January 22, at Packer Memorial Chapel, Lehigh University, 18 University Drive, Bethlehem, 18015. Arrangements entrusted to the Long Funeral Home, Bethlehem. Online condolences may be made at www.longfuneralhome.com Contributions: In lieu of flowers, to Lehigh Valley Hospital-Muhlenberg, 1247 S. Cedar Crest Blvd, Suite 200, Allentown, 18103; to Minsi Trails Council, Inc., Boy Scouts of America, PO Box 20624, Lehigh Valley, PA 18002-0624; or to Lehigh University, Attn: Terry Caskey, 27 Memorial Drive West, Bethlehem, PA 18015.