Wyomissing and of Spring Lake, N.J., passed away December 31, 2018, at Reading Hospital, surrounded by his loving family.
He was the husband of Lynn P. Shell, Spring Lake, N.J. His first wife, Bernice K. (Chang) Malsnee, passed away December 25, 1993, after 25 years of marriage.
Survived by children: Dr. Kirsten A. Malsnee, married to Joshua Spirn, Esq., Bedford, Mass., Jessica L. Malsnee,
Seattle, Wash., and Bret K. Malsnee, San Francisco, Calif.; three grandchildren: Matsen, Boden and Tegen Spirn;
sisters, Rebecca Malsnee-Fossett, wife of Carroll Fossett Jr., Wyomissing, Pa., and Karen Furman, Marlborough, Mass.; an aunt, Emily Youse, Bethlehem, Pa.; step-children: Zach Shell, Alyssa Tilhou, and Rebecca Kanerak; and Amy Snook, 39-year close friend and colleague.
He graduated from Exeter High School in 1964, Yale
University in 1968 and Hastings College of the Law,
University of California in 1972.
Jon served as solicitor for Conrad Weiser, Exeter
Township, and Twin Valley School Districts, among others; and was special counsel for the Berks County Intermediate Unit.
He recently retired from his solo law practice and was a former partner in the firm of O'Pake, Malsnee, Orwig and Parisi.
For many years, Jon served on the Board of the YMCA of Berks County, where he swam countless laps in the pool and ran many miles on the track. He was inducted into the Exeter Township School District Academic Hall of Fame in 2014, and was inducted into the Exeter Township School District Athletic Hall of Fame for swimming and track. He also ran on the State Champion mile relay team in 1963, which holds the state record to this day.
In 1959, Jon was ranked number one in the nation in the 50 meter butterfly in the 11-12 age group and was also a member of the 200-yard freestyle relay teams that set
national records on three separate occasions. Jon was
inducted into the Berks County Swimming Hall of Fame in 1974. In 2010 he joined his family as part of Team Wai Ohana swimming across the channel from Lanai to Maui.
He was a recipient of the Twin Valley Community
Education Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award in 2017.
Jon regularly ran with friends and colleagues from the Reading YMCA and completed numerous marathons throughout his life including, the Honolulu Marathon in 1981 and the Boston Marathon in 1983.
He attended his 40th Yale class reunion at the White House in 2008, hosted by classmate President George W. Bush.
Friends and colleagues often referred to him as a lawyer with integrity and one of the "good guys."
Jon was an avid lover of nature and the outdoors and
often spent time at family cabins in central Pennsylvania, where he would hunt, fish, and hike. He could identify most birds, often just by their call. He loved star gazing and
enjoyed building his own telescope.
He was adventurous and enjoyed traveling. Some of his favorite spots were the North Shore of Kauai and Chatham, MA. With family he traveled to Morocco, the Angkor
temples in Cambodia, and climbed Mt Kilimanjaro.
He was a family man at heart and spent much of his free time watching swim meets, going to soccer games, and spending time with family.
A memorial service will be held Saturday, January 5, 2019, at 11:00 a.m., at Bausman Memorial United Church of Christ, Wyomissing.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the
Conrad Weiser, Exeter, or Twin Valley School Districts or to the Reading YMCA. Edward J. Kuhn Funeral Home Inc., West Reading, is honored to be serving the Malsnee family. Online condolences may be expressed at www.kuhnfuneralhomes.com.
To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
4 Entries
Bob
January 3, 2019
I have walked this earth with this man I am proud to call my friend
Jeff Franklin
January 3, 2019
So sorry for your loss. Jon's loss is shared by me and our community of lawyers.
January 3, 2019
Dear Malsnee Family, May the love of God keep all your hearts filled with the memories of a great brother, husband, father and friend. Always, Pat Grove
Robert Rudolph, M.D.
January 3, 2019
I knew him for decades. He was a very nice, very smart, very affable, and very fine man. My condolences to the entire family.
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Funeral services provided by:
Edward J. Kuhn Funeral Home, Inc. - West Reading739 Penn Avenue, West Reading, PA 19611

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