Jay Krevsky

I don't ever recall reading an obituary written in the first person. Thus, as Pseudolous says in "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum", "be the first, start a fashion." So here goes.
I, Jay Krevsky, 92, passed away in the early morning hours of August 27, 2025. I was born June 10, 1933, in Allentown, Pa., the youngest of eight children of Rabbi Solomon and Rebbetzen (Fagel) Krevsky.
I always felt I lived a blessed life, with success as an educator, athlete, and actor. But my greatest blessings were the love of my life, Nancy, with whom I shared 65 glorious years and our children, Mona, Solomon, and Tamar, and grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. Nancy and I married in 1960, and we've been dating each other ever since.
I graduated from Allentown High School in 1951, earning a varsity letter in tennis and being voted the class "most loquacious." The following Fall I entered Muhlenberg College, and while there I was a member of the Phi Epsilon Pi social fraternity, played four years of intramural basketball, football, and baseball, and earned four varsity letters in tennis. In my senior year I defeated Swarthmore's Michael Dukakis (three-time governor of Massachusetts); it was his greatest defeat until he eventually lost the 1988 Presidential election to George Bush.
During my summers at Muhlenberg, I worked as a waiter in the heyday of the Catskills Mountain resorts (Grossinger's and Laurel's), thinking that someday I would become a "stand-up comic." I collected tons of material from the top "Borscht-belt" comics of the day, such as Buddy Hackett, George Burns, Shecky Greene, Henny Youngman, Larry Best, Phil Silvers, Joey Bishop, and Allen King. However, after performing several routines before live audiences, I quickly decided to pursue other careers.
After graduating from Muhlenberg with a BS degree (majoring in biology) in 1955, I spent two years in the U.S. Army, spending my final year and a half in Korea (just after the fighting ended). I boarded the USS Billy Mitchell in Seattle for the 16-day trip across the Pacific. Someone advised me to find the Chaplain the moment I boarded; I did and got on the "Chaplain's detail." We had our own offices and put out a daily newsletter (one day we announced the launching of the first space satellite "Sputnik"). We also put out a call to the 3000 troops on board that we would like to put together a troupe show. The very first person to see me was Jimmy Ellis, the first saxophonist drafted out of Duke Ellington's band. Jimmy put together an 11-piece orchestra! We had an opera singer, two doo-wop quartets and numerous other acts; I was the emcee. We performed two shows daily for the final six days of the trip.
While serving in Korea, and with help from the USO, I helped to establish a large library on the base, organized an inter-base softball league (my team won the all-Korea championship in 1957), and coordinated regularly scheduled USO entertainment. After playing ping pong for hours and hours with the Koreans, I also won the Army's Far East Ping Pong championship.
Upon my discharge, I returned to Harrisburg and in September of 1958 was hired to teach biology at Susquehanna Township Senior High School. Then in September of 1971, after completing my Master's in Education, I became a Principal in the Harrisburg School District at Harrisburg High School's William Penn campus. In 1988 I transferred to the Harrisburg Arts Magnet School where I served until my retirement in 1996. The Magnet School was a jewel in the Harrisburg School District, and was an arts program offering classes in theater, dance, studio art, TV production, TV journalism, photography, and music theater.
To supplement my teacher's salary, from 1960 to 1985 I taught Jewish studies afternoons and Sundays at Temple Beth-El's Hebrew School. And during those years I also sold World Book Encyclopedia to many Harrisburg families (ask "Siri" what an encyclopedia was).
I did very well in racquet sports. After tennis, I had success in squash before being introduced to racquetball where I achieved my greatest successes. Playing at the open level in progressive age groups, I won over 200 tournaments in singles and doubles including 45 state, 12 regional, 3 national, and one world championship. But my most satisfying win was a state doubles title with my son, Solomon, as my partner. I often attributed much of my racquetball success to being under estimated by my physical stature. My racquetball opponents, all over the United States, but with a fine concentration of high-level players from the Harrisburg area, were some of the finest athletes and persons I have ever met. I was extremely proud to have been inducted into the Central Pennsylvania's Sports Hall of Fame in 1990 and posted on the JCC's Sports Wall of Fame in 1996. In 1980, I was featured in Sports Illustrated, March 30th issue, "faces in the crowd." I was well aware that without Nancy's never-ending support none of my racquetball or theater hobbies would have been possible.
Between 1958 and 2013 I appeared in about 65 theatrical productions at the York Little Theater, the Little Theater of Mechanicsburg, the Gamut Theater Group, Oyster Mill Playhouse, and assorted dinner theaters, but mostly at the Harrisburg Community Theater, now called Theatre Harrisburg. Some of my favorite roles were Tevye (Fiddler on the Roof), Daddy Warbucks (Annie), Pseudolous, Hysterium, and Senex in a Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Harold Hill in the Music Man, Billis in South Pacific, Shylock in The Merchant of Venice, Reb Saunders in The Chosen, Mr. Green in Visiting Mr. Green and Nicely Nicely in Guys and Dolls. But my all-time favorite role was in July of 2013 when I played opposite my beloved Nancy in The Last Romance, the very first time we actually faced each other on stage! I had to reach 80 before I could play a romantic lead! During that 55 year span I was privileged and honored to have been directed by Peter Carnahan, Clark Nicholson, and Tom Hostetter. It also gave me great pleasure to have served on several boards: Metro Arts (now Allied Arts), The Oyster Mill Playhouse, Gamut Theatre Group, Chisuk Emuna Synagogue, and Theatre Harrisburg.
Because of our involvement in theater over the years, Nancy and I were honored to be the recipients of the 2014 Arts Awards and, in 2005 the building at 6th and Hurlock Street was renamed in our honor: the "Jay and Nancy Krevsky Production Center."
I was predeceased by my seven wonderful siblings, sisters Ethel Krevsky Schapira (Max), Marcia Krevsky Levine (Herman), Pearl Krevsky Scher (Norman); and my brothers and best friends, Herman (Fannie), Dr. Seymour (Margery), Dr. Harold, and Dr. David (Katie).
Surviving me is my wife, Nancy Conway Krevsky; my three children, Mona Krevsky (Alan Weinberg), Solomon Krevsky (Katy), and Tamar Krevsky Puckett (Glenn); grandchildren Shoshana, Abigail, Max, Lilah, Zachary, and Talia; great-grandchildren Azamrah, Shlomo, and Mordechai, and dozens of nieces and nephews. Also surviving are my loving sisters-in law, Margery Krevsky Dosey, Timi Conway Wolov and Pam Conway.
As I stated earlier, my life was truly blessed! How lucky I was to have met and married my soulmate, Nancy - beautiful, charming, loving, supporting, and talented. And who raised three wonderful children. Nancy – thank you from the bottom of my heart for taking such good care of me over the past years as my health declined. You were my strength and my unequivocal support. You sacrificed to make me comfortable. I will love you for eternity.
Please don't send flowers! You can, however, make donations in my memory to either Theatre Harrisburg, 513 Hurlock Street, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania 17110 or Chisuk Emuna Congregation, 3219 Green Street, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania 17110.
Till we meet again…
Funeral services will be held at 1 p.m. on Thursday, August 28, 2025 at the Chisuk Emuna Cemetery Chapel. Burial will be at Chisuk Emuna Cemetery, Harrisburg.
To send condolences or to share memories with the family, please go to BitnerCares.com.
Arrangements are under the care of the Hetrick-Bitner Funeral Home, 3125 Walnut Street, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania 17109.